Civilization has been around for millennia, spreading across the Earth to inhabit nearly all of the planet. While some of these cities are relatively new, there are a few cities that have survived the test of time over several millennia. These are the ten oldest cities in the world, from Athens, Greece to Luxor, Egypt.
10. Athens, Greece (3,000 BCE)
Our tenth oldest city in the world is also one of the most recognizable: Athens, Greece. The city’s history spans over 3,400 years with the earliest human presence between the 11th and 7th millennia BC. Athens was one of the most powerful city-states in ancient Greece, becoming a center for the arts, and philosophy, and is often regarded as the birthplace of democracy.
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9. Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan (5,000 BCE)
Erbil‘s human presence dates back to the 5th millennium BC with the ancient Citadel of Erbil and the Mudhafaria Minaret at the heart. The city has been both an independent power and a conquered city throughout its life, most notably by the Assyrians in the 2nd century BC and the Ottoman Empire in the Middle Ages. Today it houses a large collection of pre-Islamic artifacts including the art of Mesopotamia.
8. Susa, Iran (5,000 BCE)
Located about 160 miles east of the Tigris is our eighth selection Susa. The city does not exist anymore, instead, the city of Shush lies on the site. There are some archaeological mounds left from the ancient city of Susa, which was one of the most important cities of the Ancient Near East and served as the capital of Elam.
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7. Argos, Greece (5,000 BCE)
Traveling back to Greece is the seventh oldest city in the world, Argos, which is also one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Evidence of continuous settlement in the area dates back to around 7,000 years ago in the late Neolithic period. Since that time Argos has stayed in the same geographical location, which became strategic for both trade and war.
6. Aleppo, Syria (5,000 BCE)
Our sixth location has ties to the Silk Road, which passed through Central Asia and Mesopotamia. Aleppo is thought to have been inhabited since the sixth millennium BC, with excavations at Tell as-Sawda and Tell al-Ansari proving the area was inhabited by Amorites in the late third millennium BC. Cuneiform tablets note Aleppo as a center for commercial and military actions, as well as trading along the Silk Road.
5. Byblos, Lebanon (5,000 BCE)
Home to at least nine cultures over its history, Byblos is an ancient city in Lebanon first settled between 8,800 and 7,000 BC and continuously inhabited since 5,000 BC. The cultures that lived in Byblos include Egyptian, Phoenician, Assyrian, Persian, Hellenistic, Roman, Genoese, Mamluk, and Ottoman. Along with its large mixture of cultural influences, Byblos is the home of the Phoenician alphabet.
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4. Plovdiv, Bulgaria (6,000 BCE)
Also known as “The City of the Seven Hills,” Plovdiv is located in south-central Bulgaria and has evidence of habitation dating to the 6th millennium BC. This was during the period when Neolithic settlements were built, making Plovdiv a Thracian settlement. Along with being Thracian, Plovdiv was conquered and ruled by Persians, Ancient Macedonians, Celts, Romans, Byzantines, Goths, Huns, Bulgarians, Thraco-Romans, Bulgars, Slavic tribes, Crusaders, and Ottoman Turks.
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3. Jericho, West Bank (9,000 BCE)
Located in the Jordan Valley is our third selection, Jericho. One of the oldest cities in the world, Jericho is also a city with the oldest known defensive wall. Archaeologists have found remains that date back to 9000 BC, which is almost the very beginning of the Holocene epoch. The city attracted human habitation due to copious springs around and in the city, and is known in the Bible as the “city of palm trees.”
2. Xi’an, China (11,000 BCE)
Dating back to 11,000 BC is Xi’an, also known as Chang’an for much of its history. The Chinese city is one of the Four Great Ancient Capitals, holding the position under dynasties like the Western Zhou, Western Han, Sui, Northern Zhou, and Tang. Xi’an was the starting point of the Silk Road, and is also home to the Terracotta Army, both UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
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1. Luxor, Egypt (250,000 BCE)
Our final oldest city in the world is Luxor, Egypt dating back several millennia. The city is located in Upper Egypt and includes the site of the ancient Egyptian city of Thebes. Also known as the “world’s greatest open-air museum,” the ruins of Egyptian temples and the Theben Necropolis make this a rich space for archaeologists and tourists alike.
