аÄÃÅ¿ª½±½á¹û

City of Chicago- Photo by Max Bender on

10 Oldest Cities in the world

The world is made up of a total of 192 countries. Each of these countries have cities of course, but some of these cities have been in existence for so long.

The culture and traditions adopted by a city of a country can tell you a lot about its people. Thus, it becomes an important entity in any standing country to have a city that is representative.

Some have been there even before what we know as civilization was really understood thus making it interesting to know more about these cities.

They include:

1. Damascus City, Syria

Damascus Gate in Jerusalem on Ramadan-Photo by Shadi Shmasneh on

Also named as the capital of Arab culture, Damascus is the oldest city in the world that has seen many  great civilizations rise and fall.

According to research studies and historical evidence, Damascus was first inhabited in the second half of the seventh millennia B.C.

It is the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, and is a prominent cultural centre of the Arab world.

Today, Damascus is a metropolitan area with a population of more than two million people. In 2008, it was named the Arab Capital of Culture.

2. Aleppo City, Syria

Aleppo, Syria- Photo by aladdin hammami on

Aleppo serves as the capital of the Aleppo Governorate, and it has been continuously inhabited for more than 8,000 years.

Remnants of human settlement that dates back to  11,000 B.C have been found there.

Located between the Mediterranean Sea and Mesopotamia, Aleppo became an important trading hub during the ancient era due to its geographical location.

However, due to warfare between the government and rebel forces that have killed thousands and forced many to flee from their homes, Aleppo has been facing devastation since 2012.

3. Byblos City, Lebanon

Byblos Ancient Ruins- Author; Vyacheslav Argenberg-

Located around 42 kilometre north of Beirut, Byblos is the oldest and at the same time the largest city in the Mount Lebanon Governorate of Lebanon.

It is believed to have been first occupied by humans between 8800 and 7000 BC and continuously inhabited since 5000 BC.

Moreover, as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is believed that the first import of papyrus in Greece took place in this city.

It is also an archaeological wonder because of the successive layers of debris resulting from centuries of human habitation.

4. Argos City,Greece

Modern day Argos City, Greece- Author; Unkown-

Argos is a city in Argolis, the Peloponnese, Greece . It is also one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world.

According to research, Argos remained neutral throughout history, and did not participate in the Greco-Persian Wars.

Argos hosts around 22,000 residents today and numerous ancient monuments can be found here too.

5. Athens City, Greece

Athens, Greece- Photo by Constantinos Kollias on

Athens is the capital city and the largest city of Greece. It dominates the Attica region having its earliest human presence starting somewhere between the 11th and 7th millennium BC.

Athens is an ancient home of philosophy and the birthplace of Western civilisations. Actually, it boasts of habitation that goes back long before the days of Socrates, Plato and Aristotle.

Following the Dorian and Persian invasions, Athens city withstood the test of time as it was subject to complete destruction. Today however, Athens is a sprawling metropolis and the oldest capital city in Europe.

6. Susa City, Iran

Susa city- Author; Unknown-

Susa was an ancient city of the Proto-Elamite, and one of the most important cities of the Ancient Near East. That is, the home of early civilizations within a region roughly corresponding to the modern day Middle East.

Having its location close to the Tigris River, made it one of the most important cities in the ancient world.

It was believed that the city was once completely destroyed by the Assyrians but was then quickly rebuilt. According to researchers and archeologists, Susa city saw its most glorious days during the Persian Empire.

7. Erbil City, Iraq

6000 year old city, Erbil the capital city of Kurdistan- Author; Akam Nawzad-

Erbil has been inhabited,by the Persians, Greeks, Romans, Mongols and Ottoman Turks for thousands of years.

At the center of the city, rests the Erbil Citadel, which is also known as Hawler Castle. This is an ancient structure that dates back to 2,000 B.C.

The Erbil Citadel, is an artificial mound and the historical city center of Erbil. Today, Erbil is mostly known for its modern malls, ancient sites. In addition, it is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

8. Sidon City, Lebanon

Streets of the old city of Sidon,Lebanon- Author;Vyacheslav Argenberg-

Estimated to have been inhabited for at least the last 6,000 years, Sidon was one of the most important Phoenician cities. This was mainly because of its location as a crucial port on the Mediterranean.

Sidon is the third-largest city in Lebanon and is located in the South Governorate.It is a city well known for glass production.

This economic activity has made the city both rich and famous and has come to be known for being economically progressive.

 Also, the Phoenicians were known for their skill in ship-building and navigating the Mediterranean Sea.

9. Plovdiv City, Bulgaria

Sunset over the city of Plovdiv – Author; Jason-

Plovdiv is the second-largest city in Bulgaria. The history of Plovdiv spans across more than six millenniums, thus making it one of the oldest cities in Europe.

Excavations and archeological discoveries show that people have been inhabiting this ancient town since 4000 BCE.

Plovdiv was such an important city to Persian, Thracian, Macedonian, and Ottoman hub.

Today, Plovdiv is the second biggest city in Bulgaria and a promising up-and-coming tourist hub.

10. Varanasi City, India 

Varanasi City, India- Author; Vyacheslav Argenberg-

Varanasi is the oldest city in India and also the birthplace of the oldest religion. That is, Hinduism.

Known also as Benares, Banaras or Kashi, Varanasi city is located on the banks of the river Ganges in the Uttar, Pradesh state of North India.

Additionally, the city  dates back to the 11th century B.C. It draws Hindu pilgrims and tourists from all across the world.

These pilgrims usually bathe in the river Ganges and perform funeral rites. Moreover, here are some 2,000 temples, including Kashi Vishwanath and the Golden Temple, dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva along Varanasi city’s winding streets.