The oldest cities in the world

The oldest cities in the world

The Middle East is home to the world's oldest cities, some thriving and others struggling. We take a look at the very oldest

The world's oldest cities have a certain aesthetic about them: bustling souks under clear blue skies, flowing garments of whisper-white cotton, stonework painted yellow by the sun.

In reality, however, the world's oldest cities have faced deep unrest throughout their long history. Tragically, some are still uninhabitable. The Syrian city of Aleppo, for example, is probably the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world, but today a civil war is raging. Damascus is also categorically taboo.

That doesn't mean the ideal is lost. Some of the world's oldest cities are thriving. Places like Plovdiv in Bulgaria have adapted to modern society while retaining the beauty of bygone times.

We examine both groups of cities below: those that are thriving and those that are still struggling.

10. Beirut, Lebanon

3,000 B.C. BC

Often compared to a phoenix, Beirut was destroyed and rebuilt seven times. It is mentioned as early as the 14th century BC. Mentioned in letters to the Egyptian pharaoh in the 1st century BC, and archaeologists have unearthed flint tools dating from the Middle Paleolithic and Upper Paleolithic through the Neolithic to the Bronze Age.

alt="oldest cities in the world: Beirut">(Image: Public Domain)

Top attraction: National Museum of Beirut – the city's premier cultural institution chronicles Lebanon's history and features pieces from the Bronze and Iron Ages, as well as the Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine and Mamluk periods.

9. Gaziantep, Turkey

3,650 BC BC

Gaziantep, like many of the world's other oldest cities, has passed through many hands in its exceptionally long history, including the Byzantines, Crusaders and Ottomans.

Located in southern Turkey, close to the Syrian border, it is now one of the leading manufacturers of processed carpets, exporting $700 million worth of carpets in 2006 alone.

alt="oldest cities in the world: Gaziantep">(Image: Adam Jones, Creative Commons)

Top attraction: Gaziantepzeugma Mosaic Museum - the largest mosaic museum in the world with 1700 m² of mosaics, many of which were excavated from the Roman site of Belkıs-Zeugma before the Birecik Dam permanently flooded much of the site.

8. Plovdiv, Bulgaria

4,000 BC BC

Plovdiv, Bulgaria's second largest city, has long competed with the capital Sofia. Originally a Thracian settlement, it later became a large Roman city before falling to the Byzantines and Ottomans.

Today it is an ethnically and religiously diverse city with a number of churches, mosques and synagogues, as well as an Armenian church and a Gothic cathedral. Its tolerant attitude and vibrant culture earned it the title of European Capital of Culture 2019.

alt=“oldest cities in the world: Plovdiv”>(Image: Dennis Jarvis, Creative Commons)

Top attraction: Plovdiv Roman Theater – built under the reign of Emperor Trajan, the theater was only uncovered in modern times after an unusual landslide in 1972. Now restored, it is used as a venue for special events and concerts.

7. Sidon, Lebanon

4,000 BC BC

In Christianity, Jesus performed his first miracle in Sidon by turning water into wine. If not miraculous, then Sidon is certainly magical. Located on the Mediterranean coast, 40 km (25 miles) from Beirut, the Old City of Sidon is a beautifully preserved labyrinth of narrow streets, arched paths and a series of Umayyad-era mosques.

It is said that Saint Paul once visited Sidon, as did Alexander the Great, who of course conquered the great city.

alt=“oldest cities in the world: Sidon”>(Image: Heinz Hövel, Creative Commons)

Top attraction: Sidon Sea Castle – the sea castle built by the Crusaders is located on a small island that is connected to the mainland by a stone causeway. The castle was destroyed by the Mamluks to prevent the Crusaders from returning to the region and was later restored by Fakhreddine.

6. Fayum, Egypt

4,000 BC BC

Located 100 km (62 miles) southwest of Cairo, Faiyum occupies part of Crocodilopolis, an ancient Egyptian city that worshiped a sacred crocodile named Petsuchos. (It sounds made up, but we checked.) Petsuchos lived in a special temple pond and was fed with donated food by priests. When Petsuchos died, it was replaced by another crocodile.

Today Faiyum includes large bazaars, mosques and baths, and nearby Lake Qarun is a popular vacation spot for Egyptians migrating to the cities.

alt=“oldest cities in the world: Fayum”>(Image: Asmaa Tawfiq, Creative Commons)

Top attraction: Wadi Elrayan – a natural depression in Egypt's Western Desert, consisting of two lakes connected by Egypt's only waterfall. Elrayan was designated as a protected area in 1989 to preserve the area's biological, geological and cultural resources.

5. Susa, Iran

4,200 B.C. BC

Susa is the setting for “The Persians,” a tragedy by Aeschylus and the oldest surviving play in theater history.

Susa is mentioned under the name Shushan in the Hebrew Bible, mainly in Esther, but also in Nehemiah and Daniel. It is said that both Daniel and Nehemiah lived in Susa and that Esther became queen there, married King Ahasuerus and saved the Jews from genocide. The town has since been renamed the rather delightful Shush.

alt="oldest cities in the world: Susa">(Image: Creative Commons)

Top Attraction: Shush Castle – Built in the late 1890s under the direction of French archaeologist Jean-Marie Jacques de Morgan, Shush Castle is now open to the public as a museum. It was heavily damaged in the Iran-Iraq War of the 1980s, but has since been fully restored by the Iranian government.

4. Damascus, Syria

4,300 BC BC

Considered by some to be the oldest inhabited city in the world, Damascus may have been in existence as early as 10,000 BC. occupied, although this is disputed. Damascus, one of the world's largest ancient cities, was conquered by Alexander the Great and ruled by the Romans, Arabs and Ottomans.

The city became an important settlement after the arrival of the Arameans, a Semitic people from Mesopotamia, who constructed a network of canals that is still used by the city's modern water networks today.

alt=“Damascus”>(Image: Arian Zwegers, Creative Commons)

Top attraction: Umayyad Mosque – the city's biggest tourist attraction is said to be the head of John the Baptist. It also contains the Mausoleum of Saladin and is considered by Muslims to be the place where Jesus (Isa) will return at the end of days.

3. Aleppo, Syria

4,300 BC BC

Located at the crossroads of several early trade routes, Aleppo was ruled successively by Hittites, Assyrians, Arabs, Mongols, Mamelukes and Ottomans.

The city is currently embroiled in civil war and has had a turbulent history. Its 1138 earthquake is generally listed as the third deadliest earthquake in history after the Shensi and Tangshan earthquakes in China, due to its location along the northern part of the Dead Sea transform fault system at the boundary of the Arabian and African plates.

alt=“Aleppo”>(Image: Johan, Creative Commons)

Top attraction: Citadel of Aleppo – Built in the 13th century, the citadel overlooks the old town of Aleppo and is “protected” as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Tragically, the citadel was damaged by bombings last year. The BBC has reported that ground fighting and government airstrikes have destroyed more than 60% of the Old City.

2. Byblos, Lebanon

5,000 B.C. BC

Byblos, as it was named by the Greeks who imported papyrus from the city, is home to the Phoenician alphabet, the world's first widely used alphabet.

The city sits on a sandstone cliff 40 km (25 miles) north of Beirut and has been continuously inhabited since the Neolithic period. Today it is becoming increasingly popular as a cultural tourist destination, offering a mix of ancient ruins, sandy beaches and picturesque mountains.

alt=“Crusaders Castle”>(Image: Creative Commons)

Top attraction: Byblos Castle – built by the Crusaders in the 12th century, the castle was dismantled by Saladin in 1190 and rebuilt in 1197 after the Crusaders recaptured Byblos. Today it stands near a number of Egyptian temples, a Roman amphitheater and a Phoenician royal necropolis - a testament to the city's rich and varied history.

1. Jericho, Palestinian Territories

9,000 BC BC

Jericho, glittering in the distance from the banks of the Jordan River, is probably the oldest city in the world. Archaeologists have uncovered the remains of 20 successive settlements dating back 11,000 years, although it must be said that the city was abandoned for large periods in between.

The city was occupied by Jordan from 1949 to 1967 and has been under Israeli occupation since 1967. In 1994, it became the first Arab city in the West Bank to be granted administrative autonomy under an agreement between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization.

alt=“Jericho”>(Image: Avishai Teicher, Creative Commons)

Top attraction: The Orthodox St. George's Monastery in Wadi Qelt - built in the late 5th century AD by John of Thebes, the monastery is nestled on the cliffs of Wadi Qelt. Like other landmarks in the world's oldest cities, the monastery was destroyed and restored over the centuries and is now open to pilgrims and visitors.

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In The Lost Civilization Enigma: A New Inquiry Into the Existence of Ancient Cities, Cultures, and Peoples Who Pre-Date Recorded History, bestselling author Philip Coppens shows that there is strong evidence that the civilization is much older, much more advanced, and far more special than is currently believed. Apparently our history books left out a lot!

Main image: Johan, Creative Commons

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