The 10 Oldest Cities In The World

Which city is really the oldest in the world is highly disputed, and there is no precise evidence as to which of the candidates actually lived the longest.

Jericho, Damascus, Byblos and Aleppo all claim the title, but archaeological excavations nevertheless indicate that the former is the oldest. Regardless, most of the cities date back to ancient times.

Take a trip with us to the 10 oldest cities in the world!

10. Beirut, Lebanon (ca. 3,000 B.C.)

Excavations in the capital of Lebanon have revealed the remains of Phoenician, Hellenistic, Roman, Arab and Ottoman settlements, and it is believed that the city was inhabited as early as 3,000 BC.

The first historical mention of Beirut appeared in the Amarna Letters Wedge Writing Boards in the 13th century BC.

Today, Beirut is the largest city in Lebanon with a population of about 2.1 million.

9. Gaziantep, Turkey (ca. 3,650 B.C.)

The ancient city of Gaziantep is one of the largest in Turkey and was founded by the Hettites, an Indo-European people whose main homeland was Syria and Palestine.

However, it is believed that the area was already populated when Mesopotamia existed, making the city one of the oldest in the world.

Today, Gaziantep is home to about 1.5 million people.

8. Plovdiv, Bulgaria (ca. 3,000 - 4,000 B.C.)

Plovdiv is the second largest city in Bulgaria after the capital Sofia, and its history dates back to the time of the Phoenicians about 6,000 years ago.

The city has changed rulers many times over the years and became part of Bulgaria only in 1885, after being part of the Ottoman Empire for a long time.

7. Sayda, Lebanon (ca. 4,000 B.C.)

Sayda in Lebanon is beautifully situated on the Mediterranean coast. It was one of the most important city-states in Phoenicia in ancient times and is believed to have been inhabited 4,000 years before our time.

Even in Homer's time, Sayda was a vibrant cultural center known for its art and trade in purple, amber and glass. Jesus is said to have visited the town during his lifetime and ended up in the clutches of Alexander the Great in the 300s.

Much of Sayda was destroyed during the 1975-1990 Lebanese civil war, but much has been restored and today some 200,000 people live there.

6. Fayoum, Egypt (ca. 4,000 BC).

Fayoum is a city south of Cairo that is believed to have been founded around 4,000 BC. This makes it the oldest city in Africa.

The earliest evidence of agriculture in Egypt was found in Fayoum, and during the Middle Kingdom the city was a center for royal burial and pyramid structures.

The cultural heritage of the city is very rich and among the archaeological findings were found so-called Fayoum portraits. In the first 300 years after our time, the dead in Egypt were balled and portraits of the deceased were buried together with the mummified body. Thanks to the dry desert environment in Fayoum, the portrait was preserved and about 700 copies have been excavated so far.

Today, about 300,000 people live in the ancient city.

5. Aleppo, Syria (ca. 4,000 B.C.)

Aleppo in war-torn Syria is believed to have been founded by the Phoenicians around 3,000 B.C., then under the name Halab. However, historical findings indicate older buildings, and it is believed that the site was inhabited for at least 4,000 years before our time calculation.

Today, Aleppo is Syria's most populous city, with about two million inhabitants. This is according to the most recent 2004 pre-civil war census.

4. Susa, Iran (ca. 4,200 B.C.)

The Iranian city of Susa was located near ancient Mesopotamia and was an important city for the Elamite culture.

It is believed that the settlements of the ancient city date back to 4,200 BC.

Today, Susa is home to about 60,000 people.

3. Damascus, Syria (ca. 5,000 B.C.)

The capital of Syria, Damascus has been inhabited since ancient times, some claiming since 10,000 BC, but this is debated.

Damascus is mentioned in the Old Testament, among others, and has belonged to Jews, Assyrians, Persians, Alexander the Great, Selkeudians, Romans, Arabs, and Crusaders, all of whom have helped to make a special mark on the city.

Today, some 1.7 million people live in Damascus, which was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1979.

2. Byblos, Lebanon (ca. 5,000 B.C.)

Byblos is an ancient city in Lebanon that was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1984.

The area is believed to have been settled since 5,000 B.C. and was already an important port city in the Bronze Age, known for its papyrus trade.

Today you can visit the ancient ruins in what is now the city of Jbeil.

1. Jericho, West Bank (ca. 9,000 B.C.)

Jericho is located in the West Bank on Palestinian territory and is considered the oldest inhabited city in the world, probably settled as early as 9,000 years before Christ.

Jericho was originally populated regularly by hunters in the Naufian culture, but as early as 8,200 B.C. the city was fortified with walls, indicating a permanent b.