Ancient city in the world. Also the most ancient

The most ancient cities in the world - some of them disappeared from the face of the earth forever, only ruins and memories remained from them. And there are settlements whose names have paved a long way in history and have come down to our days. Their streets are full of architectural landmarks, magnificent in their beauty and monumentality, looking at which you are mentally transported back into the depths of centuries.

Jericho is the oldest city in the world

The Judean Hills rise on the West Bank of the Jordan River. At their foot at the mouth of the river flowing into the Dead Sea, the ancient city in the world - Jericho. On its territory, archaeologists have discovered fragments of ancient buildings dating back to 9500 BC. e.

AT Old Testament described the history of this settlement. It is also mentioned in Roman chronicles. There is a legend that Jericho was brought as a gift to Cleopatra by Mark Antony. But the magnificent buildings in this city were built by King Herod, who received rule over this city from the emperor Augustus of Rome. It was in his era that many monuments of ancient architecture appeared that have survived in this city to this day.
There are also records of Christian church appeared in Jericho in the first century AD. The constant raids of the Bedouins and the enmity of the Muslims with the knights led to the decline of the city by the 9th century. AD In the 19th century, the Turks destroyed the once prosperous center ancient world Jericho.

Only in 1920, the most ancient city in the world, Jericho, received its second life. It began to be populated by Arabs. Now about 20,000 people permanently live in it.

The main attraction is the Tel es-Sultan hill, on which rises a tower dating back to the 6000s. BC.

Now in Jericho, a disputed land between Palestine and Israel, there are constant hostilities. For this reason, the beauties of this place are hidden from tourists. At least, the governments of many countries do not recommend their citizens to visit it.

Notable surviving cities of antiquity

Over the centuries, civilizations have developed, cities have appeared. Some of them were destroyed as a result of wars or natural disasters. A few of the most ancient cities in the world, which have survived the change of eras, can still be visited today:

On earth, which are named as the most ancient cities in the world. Many of them are being destroyed even today, despite the establishment of special protection regimes. international organization UNESCO.

Most ancient cities Europe are located for the most part in Greece and the island of Crete. According to the excavations of scientists, it is Greece that can be considered the cultural cradle of mankind.

What are the oldest cities in Europe? It is impossible to answer this question unambiguously. Is the old city the one that is ancient, it has many attractions, or the one on the site of which life was in full swing before the construction of capital buildings?

One of the old cities - although the information will surprise many, Zurich can be considered. People settled in this area long before our era, for 4.5 thousand years. The first outlines of the city of Zurich began to acquire in the 1st century AD. Then a trading post was formed in this place. The name of the place was Turikum. By 853, an abbey, Fraumünster, was founded in this area. By the 11th century, his rights were finally approved - the Duchy of Swabia was established. He was allowed to print coins. And the main city of the abbey was Zurich. As everybody medieval cities it had a fortress wall, a moat, and other necessary paraphernalia for protection against external intrusion.

But the main championship, as the oldest cities in Europe, is held by the Greek cities.

Of course, here you need to start with Athens - the city that was founded by the Greek Gods. Scientists argue about the time of its appearance: 5000 BC or 4000? The city is full of surviving to our time cultural property, which includes the Acropolis, the palace located on Syntagma Square, and many surviving statues.

The Greek city of Argos is not inferior to Athens in time of foundation. It also preserved many ancient monuments, among which the most popular is the temple of one of the main Greek Goddesses - the wife of the Supreme God Zeus - Hera.

Judging by the architectural structures, the Bulgarian city of Plovdiv was rebuilt not much later. Some scholars even give priority to its first settlers, believing that the first buildings appeared a century earlier than in Athens. One of the most popular sights of the city is the central mosque. Its foundation is the heyday of the Roman Empire.

Compared to these "plesiosaurs" of history, Chania - the Cretan city - is very young. The date of its formation is approximately 1.5 century BC. Nowadays, numerous tourists come to this city to enjoy the strange Venetian atmosphere. Numerous lanes have been preserved in the city since ancient times, along which the first pirates once roamed.

The Cypriot city of Larnaca closes the list of the most ancient buildings. He is the youngest. The first buildings appeared in it 1.4 thousand years BC, but it offers tourists only the ruins of the 13th century.

How do the oldest cities in Europe live now? Great importance for them has a tourism business. Travelers from all over the world rush to these cities to touch the history.

The first city in history is currently considered to be Eridu, founded in Sumer around 5400.BC e.Today it is only an archaeological zone in southern Iraq - the inhabitants left Eridu around the 6th century.BC e.But people still live in some ancient cities, and you can visit them.

Here we would have to move on to a list of, say, the ten most ancient cities on the planet where people still live, but if we were guided by scientific data in compiling such a list, and not by our own wishes or considerations of political correctness and diversity, then the list would be more than half would consist of settlements located in Syria, Lebanon, and also in Palestine. Jericho, Damascus, Byblos, Sidon and Beirut were founded around 3000-4000 years before Christ and are still major cities, and some are even capitals. And all because it was the Levant, the historical region in which these countries are located, that was one of the first centers for the development of civilization on the planet. This, of course, inspires respect, but the list would not be very diverse - no “around the world”. Therefore, we decided to go the other way and found out which of the existing cities are the most ancient on each of the continents.

Europe

The most ancient and still inhabited city in Europe is called the Greek Argos, which lies in the center of the country's driest valley on the Peloponnese peninsula. The first settlements appeared here as early as the 6th–5th millennium BC. e., and since then, that is, for 7,000 years now, the city, either shrinking to the size of a village, or growing to a city of the size of a regional center (now about 23 thousand people live in it), falls into chronicles, epic, tragedies. (Remember the kingdom of the Argives, which was headed by the hero of the Iliad Agamemnon, who was killed on his return from Troy by his wife and her lover? So, he ruled right here.)

The ruins of the amphitheater on the hill of Larissa and the city of Argos

The Greek capital, Athens, competes with Argos (but, according to the available archaeological data, still loses). This city was founded about a thousand years later than Argos (although the first traces of people in the area date back to the 11th millennium BC), and by 1400 BC. e. Athens became the most important settlement in the region.

In the current continental Greece and on the islands belonging to it, there are still many contenders for a place in the top ten. oldest cities Europe, but if for a change we look at other parts of the map of the continent, we will also find on it the Bulgarian Plovdiv, founded by the Thracians in 479 BC. e., and the Georgian Kutaisi, which appeared somewhere between the VI and IV centuries BC. e.

The ruins of the ancient Roman theater in Plovdiv

Asia

In addition to the cities of the Middle East mentioned above, there are several more contenders for the title of the most ancient in Asia. So, on the territory of present-day Iraq are Erbil and Kirkuk - Mesopotamian settlements founded in the 3rd millennium BC. e. Around the same time, the suburb of Tehran, Rey, appeared (and became famous under the name Arsakiy). Its population is now almost a quarter of a million people, and there is a subway service from Tehran. If you turn your attention to other parts of the big continent planet, we will find the Indian Varanasi, founded around 1800 BC. e., and the Afghan Balkh - once one of the greatest cities of antiquity, the center of the richest fertile Bactria (from where, according to N.I. Vavilov, wheat originated, which became the main grain crop of the world). During the heyday of the Great Silk Road, about a million people lived in Balkh at the same time. Now, however, only about 80 thousand inhabitants remain here.

Early morning in Varanasi

It would be wrong not to mention here one of the four great ancient capitals of China - the city of Luoyang, standing in the western part of China where the Luohe River flows into the Yellow River. The first settlements, according to the chronicles, appeared here in 2070 BC. e., and after about 500 years the first city was built. Today, Luoyang is considered the cradle of Chinese civilization.

Figures of deities in the Longmen temple complex (495–898) near Luoyang

The nearest ancient and inhabited Asian city to us is the Uzbek Samarkand. It was built between the 8th and 7th centuries BC. e.

Africa

The oldest city in Africa that still exists is not entirely African - rather Middle Eastern. It's about about Luxor, in ancient times known as the Egyptian Thebes (not to be confused with Greek). It was founded in the 3rd millennium BC. e., and around 1550 BC. e. became the capital of all Egypt, which it remained for the next five centuries. During the Ptolemaic era, Thebes was destroyed. And although the city turned into two villages (Luxor and Karnak), life in it did not calm down. And today there are almost half a million inhabitants, not counting the countless tourists who come from all over the world to see the famous temple complex of Ramses.

Sphinxes at Luxor Temple of Ramses

Relatively close (on a continental scale, of course), to the northwest of Thebes, is Tripoli, founded in the 7th century BC. e. Phoenicians and centuries passed from hand to hand (it was alternately owned by the Romans, Vandals, Spaniards, pirates, Turks, Italians, British and, finally, the Libyan Republic) and today is a millionaire city and the capital of Libya.

Sunset over Tripoli (Libya) - view from the sea

The most ancient city in Africa south of the equator is Ife, located in Nigeria, founded in the 4th century BC. e. and became one of the most important centers of ancient civilization in West Africa. The Yoruba people consider it their ancestral home.

North and Central America

The peoples who inhabited the North American continent did not build cities - at least there is no evidence of this - until the time of the maximum flowering of the culture of the Pueblo peoples, which fell approximately at the turn of the 1st and 2nd millennia BC. e. Pueblo created settlements- Rather, very large villages than cities in the usual sense for Europeans - mainly in the territory of the current states of Arizona and New Mexico. It is there that the oldest continuously existing settlement in the United States is located - the village of Oraibe, inhabited since about 1100 AD. e. You can look at how these settlements probably looked like in the village of Taos Pueblo in New Mexico on the territory of an Indian reservation. The complex of buildings preserved there, included in the list world heritage UNESCO, was erected between 1000 and 1450 AD. e.

Mud buildings of Taos Pueblo

But in Central America cities began to be built much earlier. Cholula is the oldest still inhabited. The first traces of human habitation appeared there 12,000 years ago, the village - by the 2nd century BC. e., but a large city and an important regional center- in the VI-VII centuries. n. e.

Probably, the Great Pyramid was also built at this time - the largest structure of its kind, not only in the region, but throughout the world. Its base is a square measuring 400 by 400 meters, which is almost twice the size of the Great Pyramid of Giza. The height of the pyramid is 55 meters (three times lower than that in Giza), and today it looks like a hill overgrown with trees, and on its top since the 16th century stands Catholic Church, built shortly after the appearance of the Spanish settlement of Puebla in the area, which turned into a city with a population of half a million people.

The Great Pyramid of Cholula with the Church of Our Lady of the Redeemer at the top

The first European settlement in North and Central America and in general in the New World - Santo Domingo, the capital and The largest city occupying eastern part islands of Haiti. The city was founded by Bartolomeo Columbus four years after his elder brother Christopher discovered the island during his first voyage to the continent.

South America

The oldest city still existing in South America can be considered, apparently, the Peruvian Cuzco, founded as the capital of the Inca Empire around 1100 AD. e. the first Inca, Manco Capac. True, people lived in this area long before that, but they did not build large settlements, and immediately before the foundation of the city they were completely destroyed by the Incas - so that nothing would interfere with the construction of Cusco.

View of Cusco

Translated from the Inca language, the name of the city means "navel of the earth", or "center of the world". It was from here that the Inca Empire spread to most of the western coast of the continent. On November 15, 1533, the conquistadors Francisco Pizarro arrived in Cuzco, and, as you know, the empire soon came to an end, and the Spaniards got the city.

View of Cumana from San Antonio Castle

The oldest settlement on the continent, founded from scratch by Europeans, is Venezuelan city Cumana, standing on the Caribbean coast at the mouth of the Manzanares River since 1515, when an expedition of Franciscan friars arrived there. The city has survived numerous Indian attacks, earthquakes, and civil conflicts, and today is home to more than 400,000 people.

Australia and Oceania

The indigenous peoples of Australia and Oceania did not build cities and led a rather primitive way of life (especially those that settled on the Australian continent). Europeans first landed in Australia in 1606. These were Dutch explorers led by Willem Janszon. However, the first settlement on the Green Continent was founded by the British only at the end of the 18th century - in 1788 the first british ships with prisoners, and Sydney became the first city on the continent. At the same time, archaeological finds suggest that the first people appeared in Australia 30,000 years earlier.

The largest city of the Green Continent at sunset

The first European settlement in New Zealand is the village of Kerikeri, 80 kilometers north of the country's largest city, Auckland. Kerikeri was founded 26 years after Sydney as a mission station and today is a village of about 6,000 people. Here, by the way, the first grapes in New Zealand were grown.

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In the course of the development of civilization, people united their scattered dwellings. This is how cities were born. History erected great settlements and just as ruthlessly wiped them off the face of the Earth. Only a few cities have been able to go through the centuries, having endured all the blows of fate. The walls stood in the sun and rain, they saw how the ages came and went.

These cities became silent witnesses of how our civilization was reborn and fell into decay. Today, not all the great cities of the past continue to give shelter to people, many simply lie in ruins or have completely disappeared from the face of the Earth.

The British newspaper "The Guardian" has chosen the 15 most ancient cities in the world, each of which has its own unique architecture and unusual history. These places have such an ancient history that only approximate dates can be given, historians are arguing around them. So where does a person live continuously the longest?

Jericho, Palestinian Territories. This settlement appeared here 11 thousand years ago. This is the oldest residential city in the world, which was repeatedly mentioned in the Bible. Jericho is also known in ancient texts as the "city of palm trees". Archaeologists have found here the remains of 20 successive settlements, which made it possible to determine the venerable age of the city. The city is located near the Jordan River, on west bank. Even today, about 20 thousand people live here. And the ruins of ancient Jericho are located west of the center modern city. Archaeologists have been able to find here the remains of a large tower from the pre-ceramic Neolithic period (8400-7300 BC). Jericho keeps burials of the Chalcolithic period, the city walls are still bronze age. Perhaps it was they who fell from the loud trumpets of the Israelites, giving rise to the phrase "Jericho trumpets." In the city you can find the ruins of the winter palace-residence of King Herod the Great with swimming pools, baths, lavishly decorated halls. The mosaic on the floor of the synagogue dating back to the 5th-6th centuries has also been preserved here. And at the foot of the Tel-as-Sultan hill is the source of the prophet Elisha. Historians believe that the hills adjacent to Jericho hide many archaeological treasures comparable to the Valley of the Kings in Egypt.

Byblos, Lebanon. The settlement in this place is already about 7 thousand years old. The city of Gebal, mentioned in the Bible, was founded by the Phoenicians. His other name, Byblos (Byblos), he received from the Greeks. The fact is that the city supplied them with papyrus, which was called “byblos” in Greek. The city has been known since the 4th millennium BC. Byblos became famous for its temples of Baal, the cult of the god Adonis was born here. It was from here that it spread to the territory of Greece. The ancient Egyptians wrote that it was in this city that Isis found the body of Osiris in wooden box. The main tourist attractions of the city are the ancient Phoenician temples, the temple of St. John the Baptist, built by the Crusaders in the XII century, the city castle and the remains of the city wall. Now here, 32 kilometers from Beirut, is the Arab city of Jbeil.

Aleppo, Syria. Archaeologists believe that people settled here in 4300 BC. Today this city is the most populated in Syria, the number of inhabitants in it is approaching 4 million. Previously, it was known under the names Halpe or Khalibon. For many centuries, Aleppo was the third largest city in the Ottoman Empire, second only to Constantinople and Cairo. The origin of the city's name is not entirely clear. Presumably "haleb" means copper or iron. The fact is that in ancient times there was major center for their production. On the Aramaic"halaba" means "white", which is associated with the color of the soil in this area and the abundance of marble rocks. And Aleppo got its current name from the Italians, who visited here with the Crusades. Ancient Aleppo is evidenced by Hittite inscriptions, Mari inscriptions in the Euphrates, in central Anatolia and in the city of Ebla. These ancient texts speak of the city as an important military and commercial center. For the Hittites, Aleppo was of particular importance, as it was the center of worship for the weather god. Economically, the city has always been an important place. The Great Silk Road passed here. Aleppo has always been a tidbit for invaders - it belonged to the Greeks, Persians, Assyrians, Romans, Arabs, Turks and even the Mongols. Right here great Tamerlane ordered to erect a tower of 20,000 skulls. With the opening of the Suez Canal, Aleppo's role as a trading center has become smaller. Currently, this city is experiencing a renaissance, it is one of the most beautiful places in the Middle East.

Damascus, Syria. Many believe. That Damascus is worthy of the title of the oldest city in the world. Although there is an opinion that people lived here 12 thousand years ago, another date of settlement looks more truthful - 4300 BC. The medieval Arab historian Ibn Asakir in XII claimed that after Flood The Damascus Wall was the first wall erected. He attributed the birth of the city to the 4th millennium BC. The first historical evidence of Damascus dates back to the 15th century BC. Then the city was under the rule of Egypt and its pharaohs. Later, Damascus was part of Assyria, the Neo-Babylonian kingdom, Persia, the empire of Alexander the Great, and after his death, it was part of the Hellenistic kingdom of the Seleucids. The heyday of the city fell on the era of the Arameans. They created a whole network of water channels in the city, which today are the basis of the modern water supply networks of Damascus. urban agglomeration Today it has 2.5 million people. In 2008 Damascus was recognized cultural capital the Arab world.

Susa, Iran. The settlement in this place is already 6200 years old. And the first traces of a man in Susa date back to 7000 BC. The city is located on the territory of the modern province of Khuzestan, in Iran. Susa entered the history as the capital ancient state Elam. The Sumerians wrote about the city in their early documents. Thus, the works “Enmerkar and the Ruler of Aratta” say that Susa was dedicated to the deity Inanna, the patroness of Uruk. There are numerous references to the ancient city in the Old Testament, especially often its name is found in the Scriptures. The prophets Daniel and Nehemiah lived here during the Babylonian captivity in the 6th century BC, in the city Esther became a queen and saved from persecution by a Jew. The state of the Elamites ceased to exist with the victories of Ashurbanipal, Susa itself was plundered, which happened far from the first time. The son of Cyrus the Great made Susa the capital of the Persian kingdom. However, this state also ceased to exist, thanks to Alexander the Great. The city has lost its former significance. Muslims and Mongols later walked along Susa with destruction, as a result, life in it barely flickered. Today the city is called Shusha, about 65 thousand people live in it.

Faiyum, Egypt. This city has a history of 6 millennia. It is located southwest of Cairo, in the oasis of the same name, occupying part of Crocodilopolis. In this ancient place, the Egyptians worshiped the sacred Sebek, the crocodile god. The pharaohs of the 12th dynasty liked to visit Faiyum, then the city was called Shedit. This fact follows from the remainder funerary pyramids and temples found by Flinders Petrie. Faiyum was home to the famous Labyrinth described by Herodotus. Quite a few have been found in this area. archaeological finds. But world fame got the Fayum drawings. They were made using the technique of enacaustics and were funerary portraits from the time of Roman Egypt. Currently, the population of the city of El Faiyum is more than 300 thousand people.

Sidon, Lebanon. People founded their first settlement here in 4000 BC. Sidon is located 25 kilometers south of Beirut on the Mediterranean coast. This city was one of the most significant and oldest Phoenician cities. It was he who was the heart of that empire. In the X-IX centuries BC. Sidon was the largest shopping mall of that world. In the Bible, he was called "the firstborn of Canaan", the brother of the Amorite and the Hittite. It is believed that both Jesus and the apostle Paul visited Sidon. And in 333 BC. The city was captured by Alexander the Great. Today the city is called Saida and is inhabited by Shiite and Sunni Muslims. It is the third largest city in Lebanon with a population of 200,000 people.

Plovdiv, Bulgaria. This city also arose in 4000 BC. Today it is the second largest in Bulgaria and one of the oldest in Europe. Even Athens, Rome, Carthage and Constantinople are younger than Plovdiv. The Roman historian Ammian Marcellinus said that the Thracians gave the first name to this settlement - Evmolpiada. In 342 BC. the city was conquered by Philip II of Macedon, the father of the legendary conqueror. In honor of himself, the king named the settlement Philippopolis, while the Thracians pronounced this word as Pulpudeva. Since the 6th century, the city began to be controlled Slavic tribes. In 815, he became part of the First Bulgarian Kingdom under the name Pyldin. For the next few centuries, these lands changed hands from the Bulgarians to the Byzantines, until the Ottoman Turks captured it for a long time. Crusaders came to Plovdiv four times and plundered the city. Nowadays the city is an important cultural center. There are many ruins here, testifying to a rich history. The Roman aqueduct and amphitheater, as well as the Ottoman baths, stand out here. About 370 thousand people now live in Plovdiv.

Gaziantep, Turkey. This settlement appeared around 3650 BC. It is located in the south of Turkey, near the Syrian border. Gaziantep takes its history from the time of the Hittites. Until February 1921, the city was called Antep, and the Turkish parliament gave the prefix Gazi to the inhabitants for their merits during the battles for the country's independence. Today, more than 800 thousand people live here. Gaziantep is one of the most important ancient centers in the southeast of Anatolia. This city lies between mediterranean sea and Mesopotamia. Here the roads between the south, north, west and east intersected, and the Great Silk Road passed. Until now, in Gaziantep you can find historical relics from the times of the Assyrians, the Hittites, the era of Alexander the Great. With flourish Ottoman Empire and the city experienced times of prosperity.

Beirut, Lebanon. In Beirut, people began to live 3 thousand years before the birth of Christ. Today this city is the capital of Lebanon, economic, cultural and administrative center countries. And the Phoenicians laid Lebanon, choosing rocky land in the middle of the Mediterranean coast modern territory Lebanon. It is believed that the name of the city comes from the word "birot", meaning "well". For a long time, Beirut remained in the background in the region, behind more significant neighbors - Tire and Sidon. It was not until the era of the Roman Empire that the city became influential. There was a famous legal school here, which developed the basic postulates of the Code of Justinian. Over time, this document will become the basis European system rights. In 635, the Arabs occupied Beirut, incorporating the city into the Arab Caliphate. In 1100, the Crusaders captured the city, and in 1516, the Turks. Until 1918, Beirut was part of the Ottoman Empire. In the last century, the city glorious history became an important cultural, financial and intellectual center in the Eastern Mediterranean. And since 1941, Beirut has become the capital of a new independent state - the Lebanese Republic.

Jerusalem, Israel/Palestinian Territories. This great city without a doubt was founded in 2800 BC. Jerusalem was able to become both the spiritual center of the Jewish people and the third holy city of Islam. In the town big number important religious sites, including the Wailing Wall, the Dome of the Rock, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher al-Aqsa. It is not surprising that Jerusalem was constantly trying to conquer. As a result, the history of the city has 23 sieges, 52 attacks. It was captured 44 times and destroyed 2 times. The ancient city lies on the watershed between dead sea and the Mediterranean, in the spurs of the Judean Mountains at an altitude of 650-840 meters above sea level. The first settlements in this area date back to the 4th millennium BC. In the Old Testament, Jerusalem is spoken of as the capital of the Jebusites. This population lived in Judea even before the Jews. It was they who founded the city, populating it initially. There is also a mention of Jerusalem on Egyptian figurines of the 20th-19th centuries BC. There, among the curses against hostile cities, Rushalimum was also mentioned. In the XI century BC. Jerusalem was occupied by the Jews, who proclaimed it the capital of the kingdom of Israel, and from the 10th century BC. - Jewish. After 400 years, the city was captured by Babylon, then it was ruled by the Persian Empire. Jerusalem changed owners many times - they were Romans, Arabs, Egyptians, Crusaders. From 1517 to 1917 the city was part of the Ottoman Empire, after which it came under the jurisdiction of Great Britain. Now Jerusalem with a population of 800 thousand people is the capital of Israel.

Tire, Lebanon. This city was founded in 2750 BC. Tire was a famous Phoenician city, a major trading center. The date of its foundation was named by Herodotus himself. And there was a settlement on the territory of modern Lebanon. In 332 B.C. Tire was taken by the troops of Alexander the Great, this required a seven-month siege. From 64 BC Tire became a Roman province. It is believed that the apostle Paul lived here for some time. In the Middle Ages, Tire was known as one of the most impregnable fortresses in the Middle East. It was in this city that Frederick Barbarossa, King of Germany and Holy Roman Emperor, was buried in 1190. Now in place of the great ancient settlement stands the small town of Sur. He special significance no longer has, trade began to be conducted through Beirut.

Erbil, Iraq. This settlement is already 4300 years old. It is located north of the Iraqi city of Kirkuk. Erbil is the capital of the Iraqi unrecognized state of Kurdistan. This city throughout its history belonged to different nations- Assyrians, Persians, Sassanids, Arabs and Turks. Archaeological studies have confirmed that people have lived in this area without a break for more than 6 thousand years. The most eloquent evidence of this is the hill of the Citadel. It is the remains of former settlements. There was a wall around it, which was created in pre-Islamic times. When Erbil was under the rule of the Persians, Greek sources called it Hawler or Arbela. The Royal Road passed through it, which went from the very center of the Persian center to the coast Aegean Sea. Erbil was also a transit point on the Great Silk Road. Until now, the ancient city citadel, 26 meters high, is visible from afar.

Kirkuk, Iraq. This city appeared in 2200 BC. It is located 250 kilometers north of Baghdad. Kirkuk is located on the site of the ancient Hurrian and Assyrian capital Arrapha. The city had an important strategic position, so three empires fought for it at once - Babylon, Assyria and Media. It was they who shared control over Kirkuk for a long time. Even today, there are still ruins that are 4,000 years old. The modern city, thanks to its proximity to the richest field, has become the oil capital of Iraq. About a million people live here today.

Balkh, Afghanistan. This ancient city appeared around the 15th century BC. Balkh became the first large settlement that the Indo-Aryans created during their transition from the Amu Darya. This city became a large and traditional center of Zoroastrianism, it is believed that it was here that Zarathustra was born. In late antiquity, Balkh became an important center for the Hinayana. Historians said that in the 7th century there were more than a hundred Buddhist monasteries in the city, only 30 thousand monks lived in them alone. The largest temple was Navbahar, its name in Sanskrit means " new monastery". There was a huge Buddha statue there. In 645, the city was first captured by the Arabs. However, after the robbery, they left Balkh. In 715, the Arabs returned here, having already settled in the city for a long time. Further history Balkha knew the arrival of the Mongols and Timur, nevertheless, even Marco Polo, describing the city, called it "great and worthy." In the XVI-XIX centuries, the Persians, the Bukhara Khanate and the Afghans fought for Balkh. bloody wars ended only with the transfer of the city under the authority of the Afghan Emir in 1850. Today this place is considered the center of the cotton industry, leather is well dressed here, getting "Persian sheepskin". And 77 thousand people live in the city.

ancient cities from thousand years of history can surprise you not only with beautiful architecture and unique artifacts. Their old walls keep signs of previous eras and civilizations and show both positive and negative sides the evolution of mankind.

1. Damascus, Syria

The capital of Syria, the city of Damascus, is also the second largest city in the state. The population of Damascus is almost 2 million inhabitants. The city is very well located between Africa and Asia, and this advantageous geographical position at the crossroads of West and East, make the Syrian capital an important cultural, commercial and administrative center of the state.

The history of the city begins around 2,500 BC, although the exact historical period of the settlement of Damascus is still unknown to scientists. The architecture of the buildings is varied and marked by several ancient civilizations: Hellenistic, Byzantine, Roman and Islamic.

The old walled city is breathtaking with its ancient buildings, narrow streets, green courtyards and white houses, and all the more contrasts with the flow of tourists who come from all over the world to see this stunning ancient city.

2. Athens, Greece

The capital of Greece - Athens, the cradle Western civilization with a population of about 3 million people. The history of the ancient city is more than 7000 years old, and its architecture bears the influence of the Byzantine, Ottoman and Roman civilizations.

Athens - home the greatest writers, playwrights, prominent philosophers and artists. Modern Athens is a cosmopolitan, cultural, political and industrial centre Greece. The historic center of the city consists of the Acropolis ( high city), a high hill with the remains of ancient buildings, and the Parthenon, a monumental temple of Ancient Greece.

Athens is also considered a huge archaeological research center, it's full here historical museums, including the National Archaeological Museum, the Christian and Byzantine Museums, the new Acropolis Museum.
If you decide to visit Athens, be sure to visit the port of Piraeus, which for many centuries was the most important port in the Mediterranean due to its strategic position.

3. Byblos, Lebanon

The ancient city of Byblos modern name Jbeil) is another cradle of many civilizations. This is one of ancient cities Phoenicia, the first mention of which dates back to 5000 BC. It is believed that it was in Byblos that the Phoenician alphabet was invented, which is still used today.

There is also a legend that the English word Bible comes from the name of the city, since at that time Byblos was an important seaport through which papyrus was imported.

At present, Byblos is a harmonious fusion of modern polis and ancient buildings and is a popular tourist destination, thanks to the ancient fortresses and temples, picturesque views of the Mediterranean Sea, ancient ruins and the port, which people come to see from all over the world.

4. Jerusalem, Israel

Jerusalem is the most visited ancient city in the Middle East by tourists and is the most important religious center in the world. It is a holy place for Christians, Jews and Muslims, currently home to about 800,000 people, 60% of whom profess Judaism.

Jerusalem has experienced many of the greatest tragic events, including sieges and destruction caused by bloodshed Crusades. The old city was founded about 4000 years ago and is strictly divided into four quarters: Muslim, Christian, Jewish and Armenian. The hardest thing for tourists to get into is the isolated Armenian quarter.

In 1981, the Old Town was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Jerusalem is not just a city, for Jews all over the world it symbolizes their home, a place where they want to return after long wanderings.

5. Varanasi, India

India - mystical country, motherland ancient civilizations and religions. And a special place in it is occupied by the sacred city of Varanasi, located on the banks of the Ganges River and founded more than 12 centuries before the birth of Christ. Hindus believe that the city was created by the god Shiva himself.

Varanasi, also known as Benares, was a place of worship for pilgrims and wanderers from all over India. Mark Twain once said about this ancient city: “Benares is older than history itself, it is even twice as old as all ancient legends and traditions of India put together."

Modern Varanasi is an outstanding religious and cultural center, home to famous musicians, poets and writers. Here you can buy the highest class fabric, excellent perfumes, stunningly beautiful products made of Ivory, famous Indian silk and jewelry great work.

6. Cholula, Mexico

More than 2,500 years ago, from numerous scattered villages, the ancient city of Cholula was founded. Various Latin American cultures existed here, such as the Olmecs, Toltecs and Aztecs. The name of the city in the Nahuatl language literally translates as "place of flight."

After the city was captured by the Spaniards, Cholula began to develop rapidly. Great Conqueror Mexican conquistador Hernan Cortes called Cholula "the most beautiful city outside of Spain."
Nowadays, it is a small colonial town with a population of 60,000 people, the main attraction of which is Great Pyramid Cholula with a shrine at the top. It is one of the largest man-made monuments ever built by man.

7. Jericho, Palestine

Today, Jericho is a small town of about 20,000 inhabitants. In the Bible, it is called "the city of palm trees." testify that the first people began to settle here almost 11,000 years ago.

Jericho is located almost in the center of Palestine, which makes it an ideal place for trade routes. In addition, the natural beauty and resources of this area caused numerous invasions of enemy hordes into ancient Palestine. In the first century AD, the Romans completely destroyed the city, then it was rebuilt by the Byzantines, and destroyed again. After that, it remained deserted for several centuries.

For almost the entire 20th century, Jericho was occupied by Israel and Jordan until it became part of Palestine again in 1994. The most famous sights of Jericho are the fabulously beautiful palace of Caliph Hisham, the Shalom al-Israel synagogue and the Mount of Temptation, where, according to the Bible, the devil tempted Jesus Christ for 40 days.

8. Aleppo, Syria

Aleppo is the largest city in Syria with about 2.3 million people. The city has a very favorable geographical position, being in the center of the Great Silk Road, which connected Asia and the Mediterranean. The history of Aleppo goes back over 8,000 years, although archaeologists claim that the first people settled in the area as early as 13,000 years ago.

In various historical eras, this ancient city was ruled by the Byzantines, Romans and Ottomans. As a result, several different architectural styles are combined in the buildings of Aleppo. locals called Aleppo "the soul of Syria".

9. Plovdiv, Bulgaria

The history of the city of Plovdiv begins as early as 4000 BC. and for many centuries, this oldest city in Europe was ruled by many vanished empires.

It was originally a Thracian city, later captured by the Romans. In 1885 the city became part of Bulgaria and now it is the second largest city in the country and is an important educational, cultural and economic center of the state.

You should definitely take a walk through the Old Town, where numerous ancient monuments are preserved. There is even a Roman amphitheater built by Emperor Trajan in the 2nd century AD! There are many beautiful churches and temples, unique museums and monuments, and if you want to touch ancient history be sure to visit this place.

10. Luoyang, China

While most of the ancient cities are in the Mediterranean, Luoyang stands out from this list as the oldest, continuously populated city in Asia. Luoyang is considered geographical center China, the cradle of Chinese culture and history. People settled here almost 4,000 years ago, and now Luoyang is one of largest cities China with a population of 7,000,000 people.