Many ancient cities lay claim to the right to be called the first city on Earth. We will talk about the two oldest and most ancient cities, according to archaeologists and historians. These two cities are Jericho and Hamukar. These cities existed thousands of years ago.
Jericho
First of all, the definition of “ancient city” refers to Jericho, an oasis near the place where the Jordan River flows into the Dead Sea. The city of Jericho, widely known in the Bible, is located here - the same one whose walls once fell from the sound of the trumpets of Joshua.
According to biblical tradition, the Israelites began the conquest of Canaan from Jericho and, after the death of Moses, under the leadership of Joshua, crossing the Jordan, they stood at the walls of this city. The townspeople, hiding behind the city walls, were convinced that the city was impregnable. But the Israelis used an extraordinary military stratagem. They walked around the city walls in a silent crowd six times, and on the seventh they shouted in unison and blew the trumpets, so loudly that the formidable walls collapsed. This is where the expression comes from "Trumpet of Jericho".
Jericho is fed by the water of the powerful spring Ain es-Sultan ( "The Sultan's Source"), to which the city owes its existence. The Arabs call the name of this source a hill north of modern Jericho - Tell es-Sultan ( "Sultan's Mountain"). Already in late XIX century, it attracted the attention of archaeologists and is still considered one of the most important sites for archaeological finds of objects from the early historical period.
In 1907 and 1908, a group of German and Austrian researchers, led by Professors Ernst Sellin and Karl Watzinger, first began excavations at Mount Sultana. They came across two parallel fortress walls, built from sun-dried bricks. The outer wall had a thickness of 2 m and a height of 8-10 m, and the thickness of the inner wall reached 3.5 m.
Archaeologists have determined that these walls were built between 1400 and 1200 BC. It is clear that they were quickly identified with those walls that, as the Bible reports, collapsed from the powerful sounds of the trumpets of the Israelite tribes. However, during the excavations, archaeologists came across the remains of construction debris, which were of even greater interest to science than the finds that confirmed the Bible’s information about the war. But the first World War suspended further scientific research.
More than twenty years passed before a group of Englishmen, led by Professor John Garstang, was able to continue their research. New excavations began in 1929 and lasted about ten years.
In 1935-1936 Garstang encountered the lowest layers of Stone Age settlements.
He discovered a cultural layer older than the 5th millennium BC, dating back to a time when people did not yet know pottery. But people of this era already led a sedentary lifestyle.
The work of Garstang's expedition was interrupted due to the difficult political situation. And only after the end of World War II did English archaeologists return to Jericho. This time the expedition was led by Dr. Kathleen M. Canyon, with whose activities all further discoveries in this ancient city in the world are associated. To participate in the excavations, the British invited German anthropologists who had been working in Jericho for several years.
In 1953, archaeologists led by Kathleen Canyon managed to make an outstanding discovery that completely changed our understanding of early history humanity. Researchers made their way through 40 (!) cultural layers and discovered buildings of the Neolithic period with huge buildings dating back to the time when, it would seem, only nomadic tribes should have lived on Earth, earning their food by hunting and collecting plants and fruits. The results of excavations showed that approximately 10 thousand years ago a qualitative leap was made in the eastern Mediterranean associated with the transition to the artificial cultivation of cereals. This led to drastic changes in culture and lifestyle.
The discovery of early agricultural Jericho was an archeological sensation in the 1950s. Systematic excavations here revealed a whole series of successive layers, united into two complexes: Pre-ceramic Neolithic A (8th millennium BC) and Pre-ceramic Neolithic B (7th millennium BC).
Today, Jericho A is considered the first urban settlement discovered in the Old World. Here are found the earliest permanent structures known to science, burials and sanctuaries, built from earth or small round unbaked bricks.
The pre-ceramic Neolithic settlement A occupied an area of about 4 hectares and was surrounded by a powerful defensive wall made of stone. Adjacent to it was a massive round stone tower. Initially, researchers assumed that this was a tower of a fortress wall. But obviously, it was a special-purpose structure that combined many functions, including the function of a guard post to monitor the surrounding area.
Protected by a stone wall, there were round, tent-like houses on stone foundations with walls made of mud brick, one surface of which was convex (this type of brick is called "pork's back"). To more accurately determine the age of these structures, the latest scientific methods were used, such as the radiocarbon (radiocarbon) method.
Nuclear physicists, when studying isotopes, found that it is possible to determine the age of objects by the ratio of radioactive and stable carbon isotopes. Through sounding, it was found that the oldest walls of this city date back to the 8th millennium, that is, their age is approximately 10 thousand years. The sanctuary discovered as a result of excavations was even more ancient - 9551 BC.
There is no doubt that Jericho A, with its settled population and developed construction industry, was one of the first early agricultural settlements on Earth. Based on many years of research conducted here, historians have received absolutely new picture development and technical capabilities that humanity had 10 thousand years ago.
The transformation of Jericho from a small primitive settlement with miserable huts and huts into a real city with an area of at least 3 hectares and a population of more than 2000 people is associated with the transition of the local population from simple gathering of edible cereals to agriculture - growing wheat and barley. At the same time, researchers have established that this revolutionary step was taken not as a result of some kind of introduction from the outside, but was the result of the development of the tribes living here: archaeological excavations of Jericho showed that in the period between the culture of the original settlement and the culture of the new city, which was built at the turn 9th and 8th millennia BC, life here did not stop.
At first, the town was not fortified, but with the advent of strong neighbors, fortress walls became necessary to protect against attacks. The appearance of fortifications speaks not only of the confrontation between different tribes, but also of the accumulation by the inhabitants of Jericho of certain material values that attracted the greedy gaze of their neighbors. What were these values? Archaeologists have answered this question as well. Probably the main source of income for the townspeople was barter trade: the well-located city controlled the main resources of the Dead Sea - salt, bitumen and sulfur. Obsidian, jade and diorite from Anatolia, turquoise from the Sinai Peninsula, cowrie shells from the Red Sea were found in Jericho - all these goods were highly valued during the Neolithic period.
The fact that Jericho was a powerful urban center is evidenced by its defensive fortifications. Without the use of picks and hoes, a ditch 8.5 m wide and 2.1 m deep was cut into the rock. Behind the ditch rose a stone wall 1.64 m thick, preserved at a height of 3.94 m. Its original height probably reached 5 m , and above there was a masonry of mud bricks.
The excavations revealed a large round stone tower with a diameter of 7 m, preserved to a height of 8.15 m, with an internal staircase carefully constructed from single meter-wide stone slabs. The tower contained grain storage and clay-lined cisterns to collect rainwater.
The stone tower of Jericho was probably built at the beginning of the 8th millennium BC. and lasted for a very long time. When it ceased to be used for its intended purpose, crypts for burials began to be built in its internal passage, and the former storage facilities were used as dwellings. These rooms were often rebuilt. One of them, destroyed in a fire, dates back to 6935 BC
After this, archaeologists counted four more periods of existence in the history of the tower, and then the city wall collapsed and began to erode. Apparently, the city was already deserted at this time.
The construction of a powerful defensive system required a huge amount of labor, the use of significant labor and the presence of some central government for organizing and managing work. Researchers estimate the population of this first city in the world to be two thousand people, and this figure may be underestimated.
What did these first citizens of the Earth look like and how did they live?
An analysis of the skulls and bone remains found in Jericho showed that 10 thousand years ago, short people - just over 150 cm - with elongated skulls (dolichocephalians), who belonged to the so-called Euro-African race, lived here. They built oval-shaped dwellings from lumps of clay, the floors of which were recessed below ground level. The house was entered through a doorway with wooden jambs. There were several steps leading down. Most houses consisted of a single round or oval room with a diameter of 4-5 m, covered with a vault of intertwined rods. The ceiling, walls and floor were covered with clay. The floors in the houses were carefully leveled, sometimes painted and polished.
The inhabitants of ancient Jericho used stone and bone tools, did not know ceramics and ate wheat and barley, the grains of which were ground on stone grain grinders with stone pestles. From eating too much food, which consisted of cereals and legumes ground in stone mortars, these people's teeth completely wore out.
Despite a more comfortable habitat than that of primitive hunters, their life was extremely difficult, and the average age of the inhabitants of Jericho did not exceed 20 years. Infant mortality was very high, and only a few lived to be 40-45 years old. There were obviously no people older than this age in ancient Jericho.
The townspeople buried their dead right under the floors of their homes, wearing iconic plaster masks with cowrie shells inserted into the eyes of the masks on their skulls.
It is curious that in the oldest graves of Jericho (6500 BC), archaeologists mostly find headless skeletons. Apparently, the skulls were separated from the corpses and buried separately. The cultic beheading is known in many parts of the world and has been practiced down to our time. Here, in Jericho, scientists apparently encountered one of the earliest manifestations of this cult.
During this “pre-ceramic” period, the inhabitants of Jericho did not use earthenware - they replaced it with stone vessels, carved mainly from limestone. Probably, the townspeople also used all kinds of wickerwork and leather containers like wineskins.
Not knowing how to sculpt pottery, the ancient inhabitants of Jericho at the same time sculpted animal figures and other images from clay. In residential buildings and tombs of Jericho, many clay figurines of animals were found, as well as stucco images of the phallus. The cult of masculinity was widespread in ancient Palestine, and its images are found in other places.
In one of the layers of Jericho, archaeologists discovered a kind of ceremonial hall with six wooden pillars. It was probably a sanctuary - a primitive predecessor of the future temple. Inside this room and in its immediate vicinity, archaeologists did not find any household items, but they found numerous clay figurines of animals - horses, cows, sheep, goats, pigs and models of male genital organs.
The most amazing discovery in Jericho was the stucco figurines of people. They are made from local limestone clay called "hawara" with a reed frame. These figurines are of normal proportions, but flat in front. Nowhere, except for Jericho, have such figurines been encountered by archaeologists before.
Life-size group sculptures of men, women and children were also found in one of the prehistoric layers of Jericho. They were made using cement-like clay, which was spread on a reed frame. These figures were still very primitive and flat: after all, plastic art was preceded for many centuries cave drawings or images on cave walls. The found figures show how much interest the inhabitants of Jericho showed in the miracle of the origin of life and the creation of a family - this was one of the first and most powerful impressions of prehistoric man.
the emergence of Jericho - the first urban center - indicates the emergence tall shapes public organization Even the invasion of more backward tribes from the north in the 5th millennium BC. could not interrupt this process, which ultimately led to the creation of highly developed ancient civilizations of Mesopotamia and the Middle East.
Hamukar
The ruins of a city that scientists believe is at least 6,000 years old have been discovered in Syria. The discovery actually changed traditional ideas about the appearance of cities and civilization on Earth in general. It forces us to consider the spread of civilization in a new light, starting from an earlier time. Before this discovery, cities dating back to 4000 BC were discovered only in ancient Sumer - between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in the territory of modern Iraq, while the last, most ancient, was found in the southeastern part of Syria under a huge hill near the village of Hamukar . Mysterious city also called Hamukar.
For the first time, archaeologists began to actively dig the ground here back in the 1920s -1930s. Then they assumed that it was here that Vashshukani was located - the capital of the Mitanni Empire (approximately the 15th century BC), which had not yet been discovered. But no signs of settlement of this area were found then - “ Vashshukan theory" turned out to be untenable.
Many years passed, and scientists again became interested in this place. And not in vain: after all, it is located on one of the most important transport arteries of antiquity - the road from Nineveh to Aleppo, along which travelers and caravans of merchants stretched. This situation, according to scientists, provided a lot of advantages and created excellent preconditions for the development of the city.
Researchers actually discovered signs indicating its existence back in the middle of the 4th millennium BC.
Then the first cities arose one after another in Southern Iraq, and their colonies were formed in Syria.
This time, archaeologists were determined - in the most literal sense - to get to the bottom of the truth. A special Syrian-American expedition was formed to study Hamukar, the director of which was McGuire Gibson, a leading researcher at the Oriental Institute at the University of Chicago. The first shovel hit the ground in November 1999. The expedition needed to get used to it, settle in, prepare the excavation area, hire local residents for heavy work...
It all started with drawing up a detailed map of the area. And only then, with her help, archaeologists began the next, no less painstaking stage of work: it was necessary to carefully - almost with a magnifying glass in hand - examine the entire excavation area, collecting various shards. Such studies would provide a fairly accurate idea of the size and shape of the settlement. And luck really smiled on archaeologists - ancient cities hidden in the ground “fell out” as if from a cornucopia.
The first settlement found dates back to approximately 3209. BC. and occupied an area of about 13 hectares. Gradually it grew, its territory increased to 102 hectares, and subsequently the settlement became one of largest cities that time. Then, based on the items found, other, most interesting places for excavations. In the eastern part of the settlement, archaeologists discovered a building in which pots were fired. And the main result of the inspection of the area was the discovery of a large settlement south of the hill. Its more detailed study confirmed that this territory began to be populated at the beginning of the 4th millennium BC. If all the discovered settlements are recognized as one city, then its area will be more than 250, which is hard to believe. At that time, in the era of the birth of the first urban settlements, such a large city was a real metropolis of antiquity.
Satellites have helped scientists well. The photographs taken from them gave the researchers another idea when, 100 m from the hill, on its northern and eastern sides, they discerned a dark, twisting line, similar to a city wall, while only a small slope was visible on the ground. Further examination showed that the wall could have been located closer to the hill, and the slope was preserved from a ditch that supplied the city with water.
Excavations were carried out in three zones. The first is a trench 60 m long and 3 m wide, running along the northern slope of the hill. Its gradual digging made it possible for archaeologists to examine the development of the settlement in different eras, since each step was 4-5 m lower than the next. So: the lowest layer that scientists reached showed a city 6000 years ago!
On the next level, walls of several houses made of clay bars were discovered, as well as a huge, possibly city wall, 4 meters high and 4 meters thick. The remains of pottery underneath date back to the middle of the 4th millennium BC. Next comes a level dating back to 3200 BC. Ceramics from here refer to the creativity of the peoples of Southern Iraq, which indicates the interaction of the Syrian and Mesopotamian peoples at that time.
These houses are followed by “younger” buildings, built in the 3rd millennium BC. There are already baked brick houses and wells here. Directly above one of the houses there is a later building - from the mid-1st millennium - and then there is a modern cemetery.
Another excavation area was replete with shards. It was divided into sections of five square meters And they carefully “shoveled” all the earth. Archaeologists have discovered houses here with perfectly preserved clay walls. And inside there were a huge amount of things for a long time days gone by- all covered with a thick layer of ash. This created great difficulties for scientists: try to find burnt fragments in the cracks of the floors, in various irregularities and holes.
Soon the sources of such abundant ash were found - in one room the remains of four or five slabs made of clay bars, which were partially burned when the stoves were heated, were excavated. Around the slabs there were remains of barley, wheat, oats, and animal bones. Therefore, power stoves are used for baking bread, brewing beer, cooking meat and other products.
The ceramics discovered here amazed scientists with their diversity: large pots for preparing ordinary food, small vessels, as well as small elegant vessels, the walls of which are equal to the thickness of an ostrich egg shell. Figurines with large eyes were also found in the houses, possibly some deities from the middle of the 4th millennium BC.
But still, 15 seals in the form of carefully drawn animals tell the most complete story about the society of that era. All of them were found in one hole, presumably a grave. Also found here great amount beads made of bone, earthenware, stone and shells, some of them were so small in size that it can be assumed that they were not used as necklaces, but were woven or sewn into clothing.
The seals are carved from stone in the shape of animals. One of the largest and most beautiful seals is made in the form of a leopard, the spots on which are made using small pins inserted into drilled holes. A seal was also found, not inferior to a leopard print in beauty - in the form of a horned animal, which, unfortunately, the horns broke off. Large seals are much more varied, but there are far fewer of them than small ones, the main types of which are lion, goat, bear, dog, hare, fish and birds. The larger, more elaborate seals must have belonged to people of great power or wealth, while the smaller ones may have been used by others to denote private property.
In a small pit two meters deep in the north-eastern part of the excavation, just below the surface, the researchers discovered a wall dating back to the 7th century. AD, and a meter lower - the corner of the building, strengthened by a support with two niches. The support was installed next to the door that leads to the east. The door jamb, buttress, niches and south wall are covered with lime. Typically, such supports with niches were installed not near private, but near temple buildings. Shards of pottery found near the temple point to the beginning of the 3rd millennium BC, that is, the Akkadian period, when the rulers of Akkad, a state in southern Mesopotamia, began expanding into what is now Syria. Since this is a critical period in the history of Mesopotamia, the place where so many eras are intertwined becomes the main focus of the expedition's forces in the next season.
Previously, historians assumed that the Syrian and Turkish states began to actively develop only after contact with representatives of Uruk - ancient state in Southern Iraq. But the excavations of Hamukar prove that highly developed societies appeared not only in the Tigris-Euphrates valley, but also in other areas at the same time. Some researchers even believe that civilization originally began in Syria. The discovery actually changed traditional ideas about the emergence of cities and civilization in general, forcing us to consider its birth and spread at an earlier time.
While it was previously believed that civilization began in the Uruk period (ca. 4000 BC), there is now evidence of its existence as far back as the Ubaid period (ca. 4500 BC). This means that the development of the first states began before the advent of writing and other phenomena considered criteria for the emergence of civilization. Between different peoples Vital connections began to form, people exchanged experiences. Civilization began to march across the planet with leaps and bounds!
The excavations of Hamukara promise many more discoveries, because this is the only place where the layers of 4000 BC. lie two meters from the surface and even higher.
Based on materials from 100velikih.com and bibliotekar.ru
The oldest cities in the world still exist today. These settlements have passed what is called the test of time.
History can be surprisingly unpredictable, but some of its monuments have been unshakable for several thousand years. Here is a list of the most ancient cities in the world that did not fall into decay and were not lost over the years, but were constantly inhabited by people. Find out which cities of the East, Europe and Asia are not only considered the oldest, but are still inhabited! You might also be interested in which civilization is considered the most ancient.
The most ancient cities of East Asia
Although Chinese civilization is rightfully considered one of the most ancient, the age of its oldest surviving cities is significantly inferior to the age of the first fortified settlements of the Near and Middle East. But even these numbers cause awe in a person who comes face to face with the legacy of time.Beijing
A country: ChinaYear of foundation: 1045 BC
Ancient name the current capital of China is Ji. The city, founded in 1045 BC, was the capital of the feudal principality of Yan for almost two thousand years, until in 938 AD. the Liao dynasty did not make it the second capital of Northern China. Beijing (also called Beijing and, subsequently, Beiping) was the most important state center in the Jin, Yuan, Ming and Qing eras, and retained this status after the formation of New China. By the way, it was in the vicinity of Beijing that the remains of Sinanthropus, the so-called “Beijing man,” whose age dates back to approximately 600 thousand years, were found.
Sian
A country: ChinaYear of foundation: 1100 BC
For 3,100 years, Xi'an (ancient names - Haojin, Chan-An), the most ancient city in China currently inhabited, was the capital of ten major dynasties. The major cultural and political center was also famous for its production of bronze objects; some products have survived to this day and are now exhibited in local museums. The Tang Dynasty died out in 907, after which the city slowly declined. Subsequently, he played an important role in the development of state trade, but never returned to its former greatness.
The most ancient cities of the Middle East
The ancient Near East, namely the area between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, is considered the cradle of human civilization. Mesopotamia is the largest ancient civilization, which, despite its greatness, could not withstand the onslaught of centuries. But, for example, neighboring Egypt still delights tourists with its ancient capital.Balkh
A country: AfghanistanYear of foundation: 1500 BC
This city, located in modern Afghanistan, is often called the cradle of three religions: Zoroastrianism, Judaism and Buddhism. Balkh is considered to be the birthplace of Zarathustra, the founder of Zoroastrianism - the ancient religion world known to man.
Luxor
A country: EgyptYear of foundation: 3200 BC
Approximately XXII-XX centuries BC. Luxor was the capital of Waset (fourth nome Ancient Egypt), then became the main city of the entire kingdom of Egypt and remained so until the 10th century BC. It is also known to historians under the Greek name Thebes.
El Fayoum
A country: EgyptYear of foundation: 3200 BC
Another ancient Egyptian city appeared on the world map in the 4th millennium BC. Faiyum is located southwest of Cairo, on the territory of ancient Crocodilopolis. This unusual name a settlement in honor of the cult of the sacred crocodile Petsuhos, which was worshiped by local residents. Now the city is quite modern, here you can visit large bazaars, mosques, baths, as well as the pyramids of Hawara and Lekhin.
The most ancient cities in Europe
Athens
A country: GreeceYear of foundation: 1400 BC
Exact date The founding of Athens is unknown. Written sources indicate that states Ancient world knew about the existence of a settlement on the site of modern Athens already in 9600 BC. However, the city itself, which is rightly called the cradle of Greek culture, arose only in the middle of the 2nd millennium BC.
Agros
A country: GreeceYear of foundation: 2000 BC
The founding date of the city of Agros (Peloponnese) is conventionally considered to be 2000 BC. – the first evidence of its existence found by archaeologists dates back to this period. Perhaps his story goes back much deeper. According to the ancient Greek epic, Agros was adjacent to Mycenae and Tiryns, now in ruins.
Mantua
A country: ItalyYear of foundation: 2000 BC
Mantua is a small city in the Lombardy region, founded by the Etruscans and Gauls. For most of its history, Mantua was located on an island on the Mincio River. Subsequently, already in the Middle Ages, residents blocked the channel and turned the island into a peninsula. As a result, the city was surrounded by lakes on three sides. By the way, the ancient Roman poet Virgil was born in the vicinity of Mantua.
Plovdiv
A country: BulgariaYear of foundation: 6000 BC
The most ancient city in Europe is located in a picturesque place in southern Bulgaria, on the coast of the Maritsa River. Like Rome, it was built on seven hills - three of which can still be clearly distinguished today. Plovdiv was originally a small village called Tratian, which later became a major center of the Roman Empire. Before becoming part of Bulgaria, Plovdiv was also under the rule of Byzantium and Ottoman Empire. Modern Plovdiv is a thriving city with a rich cultural and social life.
The most ancient cities of the Middle East
Bible
A country: LebanonYear of foundation: 5000 BC
Once upon a time, on the site of modern Jebeil stood the ancient city of Byblos - the heart of all Mediterranean navigation, the largest exporter of papyrus to Hellas. In the sixth millennium BC, these places were chosen by nomadic tribes who made a living by fishing. After a couple of thousand years, the settlement, nicknamed by the inhabitants of Gubla, was overgrown with stone walls, and its inhabitants continued the traditions of their ancestors and turned the city into a prosperous harbor. In the 3rd millennium BC. Gubla passed into the possession of the Phoenicians - sea people I was attracted by its convenient location and developed water infrastructure. In the second millennium BC, the city acquired its own written language, which significantly increased its prosperity, which was entirely dependent on trade. And a little later he became the main exporter of papyrus to Greece. Papyrus in ancient Greek was known precisely as “byblos,” and the city, accordingly, began to be called the same.
Jericho
A country: PalestineYear of foundation: 6800 BC
Jericho (meaning a settlement with fortified walls) is considered the most ancient city in the world. Although the first human settlements arose here, on the west bank of the Jordan, back in the 8th millennium BC. The powerful walls of the Tower of Jericho still remind us of those times. According to biblical legend, the walls of this city fell in time immemorial from the sounds of Joshua's trumpet. During excavations, which began in earnest in the middle of the 20th century, archaeologists discovered as many as forty so-called “cultural layers” under these lands!
You can also find out about the most ancient city in Russia, its history and location on our website.
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The first city in history is currently considered to be Eridu, founded in Sumer around 5400BC e.Today it is only an archaeological zone in southern Iraq - the inhabitants left Eris around the 6th centuryBC e.But people still live in some ancient cities, and you can visit them.
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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 in compiling such a list by scientific data, 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 Palestine. Jericho, Damascus, Byblos, Sidon and Beirut were founded approximately 3000–4000 years before Christ and are still major cities, some 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 of 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 a different route and found out which of the existing cities are the most ancient on each continent. |
Europe
The oldest 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 in 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 on the scale of a regional center (now about 23 thousand people live in it), ends up in chronicles, epics, and tragedies. (Remember the kingdom of the Argives, which was led by the hero of the Iliad Agamemnon, who was killed by his own wife and her lover upon returning from Troy? So, he ruled right here.)
Ruins of the amphitheater on Larissa hill and the city of Argos
The Greek capital, Athens, competes with Argos (but, according to 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 today's continental Greece and on the islands that belong to it, there are still many contenders for a place in the ten oldest cities in Europe, but if, for a change, we look at other parts of the map of the continent, we will also find the Bulgarian Plovdiv, founded by the Thracians in 479 BC. e., and Georgian Kutaisi, which appeared somewhere between the 6th and 4th centuries BC. e.
Ruins of an ancient Roman theater in Plovdiv
Asia
In addition to the cities of the Middle East mentioned above, there are several more contenders in Asia for the title of the most ancient. Thus, 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 Tehran suburb of Rey appeared (and became famous under the name Arsakia). Its population now amounts to almost a quarter of a million people, and there is a metro service from Tehran. If we turn our gaze to other parts of the largest continent on the planet, we will find Indian Varanasi, founded around 1800 BC. e., and Afghan Balkh was 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, there are only about 80 thousand inhabitants left 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, located in the western part of China where the Lohe River flows into the Yellow River. The first settlements, according to chronicles, appeared here in 2070 BC. e., and about 500 years later the first city was built. Today, Luoyang is considered the cradle of Chinese civilization.
Figures of deities at the Longmen Temple complex (495–898) near Luoyang
The closest ancient and inhabited Asian city to us is 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. We are talking about Luxor, in ancient times known as the Egyptian Thebes (not to be confused with the Greek). It was founded back 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 in the Luxor Temple of Ramses
Relatively close (on a continental scale, of course), northwest of Thebes, is Tripoli, founded in the 7th century BC. e. Phoenicians and passed from hand to hand for centuries (it was owned in turn by the Romans, Vandals, Spaniards, pirates, Turks, Italians, English 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 peak of the culture of the Pueblo peoples, which occurred around the turn of the 1st and 2nd millennia AD. e. The Pueblos created settlements—very large villages rather than cities in the European sense—mostly in what is now the states of Arizona and New Mexico. It is there that the oldest continuously existing settlement in the United States is located - the village of Oribe, inhabited since approximately 1100 AD. e. You can see what these settlements probably looked like in the village of Taos Pueblo in the state of New Mexico on the territory of the Indian reservation. The complex of buildings preserved there, included in the list world heritage UNESCO, was built between 1000 and 1450 AD. e.
Adobe buildings of Taos Pueblo
But in Central America, cities began to be built much earlier. The oldest still inhabited is Cholula. The first traces of human habitation appeared there 12,000 years ago, the village - by the 2nd century BC. e., and Big City and an important regional center - in the 6th–7th centuries. n. e.
It was probably at this time that the Great Pyramid was built - 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 the one in Giza), and today it looks like a hill overgrown with trees, and on its top since the 16th century there has been a Catholic church, built shortly after the Spanish settlement of Puebla appeared in the area, which turned into a city with population of half a million people.
Great Pyramid of Cholula with the Church of Our Lady of the Deliverer at the top
The first European settlement in North and Central America and in the New World in general was Santo Domingo, the capital and largest city occupying the eastern part of the island of Haiti. The city was founded by Bartolomeo Columbus four years after his older brother Christopher discovered the island on his first voyage to the continent.
South America
The oldest existing city in South America can be considered, apparently, the Peruvian Cusco, 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 this, but they did not build large settlements, and immediately before the founding 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 Incan 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 Cusco, and, as you know, the empire soon came to an end, and the city fell to the Spaniards.
View of Cumana from the Castle of San Antonio
The oldest settlement on the continent, founded from scratch by Europeans, is the Venezuelan city of Cumana, located on the coast Caribbean Sea at the mouth of the Manzanares River since 1515, when an expedition of Franciscan monks arrived there. The city has survived numerous Indian attacks, earthquakes, and civil conflicts, and today is home to more than 400 thousand 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 who settled across the Australian continent). Europeans first landed in Australia in 1606. These were Dutch explorers led by Willem Janszoon. 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 arrived here, 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 with a population of about 6 thousand people. Here, by the way, the first grapes in New Zealand were grown.
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Ancient cities with a thousand-year history can surprise you not only with beautiful architecture and unique artifacts. Their old walls contain signs of previous eras and civilizations and show both the positive and negative sides of human evolution.
1. Damascus, Syria
The capital of Syria, the city of Damascus, is also the second largest city in the state. Damascus has a population of almost 2 million inhabitants. The city is very well located between Africa and Asia, and this is 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 city's history begins around 2,500 BC, although the exact historical period settlement of Damascus is still unknown to scientists. The architecture of the buildings is varied and is 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 is all the more in contrast to the flow of tourists who come from all over the world to see this stunning ancient city.
2. Athens, Greece
The capital of Greece is Athens, the cradle of Western civilization with a population of about 3 million people. The history of the ancient city goes back more than 7,000 years, and its architecture bears the influence of Byzantine, Ottoman and Roman civilizations.
Athens is the birthplace of the greatest writers, playwrights, outstanding philosophers and artists. Modern Athens is a cosmopolitan city, the cultural, political and industrial center of Greece. Historical Center 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 and is full of historical museums, including the National Archaeological Museum, the Christian and Byzantine Museums, new museum Acropolis.
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 location.
3. Byblos, Lebanon
The ancient city of Byblos (modern name Jbeil) is another cradle of many civilizations. This is one of ancient cities Phenicia, 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.
Currently, Byblos is a harmonious fusion of a modern city and ancient buildings and is a popular tourist destination, thanks to ancient fortresses and temples, a picturesque view of the Mediterranean Sea, ancient ruins and a port, which people come from all over the world to see.
4. Jerusalem, Israel
Jerusalem is the most visited ancient city in the Middle East and is the most important religious center in the world. This Holy place for Christians, Jews and Muslims, about 800,000 people currently live here, 60% of whom profess Judaism.
Throughout its history, Jerusalem has experienced many of the greatest tragic events, including sieges and destruction caused by the bloody Crusades. The old city was founded about 4,000 years ago and is strictly divided into four quarters: Muslim, Christian, Jewish and Armenian. The hardest place 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 is a mystical country, homeland 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’s even twice as old as everyone else.” ancient legends and the 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 high-quality fabric, excellent perfumes, stunningly beautiful ivory products, famous Indian silk and superbly crafted jewelry.
6. Cholula, Mexico
More than 2,500 years ago, the ancient city of Cholula was founded from numerous scattered villages. 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, Cholule began to develop rapidly. The great conqueror of Mexico and conquistador Hernan Cortes called Cholula “the most beautiful city outside Spain."
Today, it is a small colonial town of 60,000 people whose main attraction is the Great Pyramid of Cholula with its sanctuary at the top. This is one of the largest man-made monuments ever built by man.
7. Jericho, Palestine
Today, Jericho is a small town with a population of about 20,000 inhabitants. In the Bible it is called the “city of palm trees.” indicate that the first people began to settle here almost 11,000 years ago.
Jericho is located almost in the center of Palestine, making it an ideal location 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 which it remained deserted for several centuries.
For almost the entire 20th century, Jericho was occupied by Israel and Jordan until it again became part of Palestine 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, home to about 2.3 million people. The city has a very favorable geographical location, being in the center of the Great Silk Road, which connected Asia and the Mediterranean. The history of Aleppo goes back more than 8,000 years, although archaeologists claim that the first people settled in this area 13,000 ago.
In various historical eras, this ancient city was under the rule of the Byzantines, Romans and Ottomans. As a result, Aleppo's buildings combine several different architectural styles. Locals Aleppo is called the “soul of Syria.”
9. Plovdiv, Bulgaria
The history of the city of Plovdiv dates back to 4000 BC. and for many centuries, this oldest city in Europe has been under the rule of 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 stroll through the Old Town, where numerous ancient monuments are preserved. There is even a Roman amphitheater built here 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 a little ancient history, be sure to visit this place.
10. Luoyang, China
While most ancient cities are in the Mediterranean, Luoyang stands out as the oldest continuously inhabited city in Asia. Luoyang is considered the geographical center of China, the cradle Chinese culture and history. People settled here almost 4,000 years ago, and now Luoyang is one of the largest cities in China with a population of 7,000,000 people.
There are many cities in the world, but only a few of them can boast of a thousand-year history, where people have lived in one place since time immemorial. The earliest civilizations appeared in the territory of modern Iraq, northeastern Syria, southeastern Turkey, southwestern Iran, Greece and India, where the first large settlements were formed. It is difficult for archaeologists to determine which city can bear the title of the oldest in the world, where people have lived continuously for centuries. Moreover, there is no precise definition of what exactly is considered a city, much less how to determine how long people “continuously” lived here. But still, meet ten of the oldest cities in the world that have stood the test of time and were not wiped off the face of the earth.
10. Beirut, Lebanon
First settlement 3000 BC
The history of Bierut goes back more than 5,000 years. The city was founded by the Phoenicians, which became the cultural and political center of the region, where over the course of several thousand years the Hellenes, Romans, Arabs and Ottomans managed to rule. Beirut is now the capital and largest city of Lebanon, home to 1.9 million people.
9. Delhi, India
Delhi was founded by the legendary ruler Panda, the first of the Mahabharata lineage, around 3650 BC. e., but until this is scientifically proven, everything is based more on myths and legends. Although it seems that archaeologists managed to dig up pottery and find the remains of a settlement that confirm the founding date of the city. The city, which occupies a strategic position, was destroyed and plundered several times, but each and every one was restored. Today Delhi is the capital of India, one of the largest metropolises in the world, where 13 million people live.
8. Gaziantep, Türkiye
First settlement 3650 BC
The city is located in southern Turkey on the border with Syria. The city was founded by the Hittites, which passed from hand to hand to the Assyrians, Persians, Romans, Byzantines, and Seljuks. In 18183, the city was captured by Turkish tribes, which marked the beginning of the heyday of the city, which became a major trading center located on the Silk Road. Today, Gaziantep has a population of 1.3 million and is the sixth most populous city in Turkey.
7. Athens, Greece
Athens is the very embodiment of history, which became the cradle of Western civilization, where many ancient philosophers were born and worked, the names of Socrates, Plato and Aristotle alone are worth it. The first human settlements found by archaeologists date back to 4000 BC. Today it is the capital of Greece, where about 650 thousand people live, the main attraction of which is the Acropolis.
6. Sidon, Lebanon
First settlement 4000 BC
Sidon is located 40 kilometers from the Lebanese capital Beirut and 40 kilometers from Tire. The city was founded by the Phoenicians, becoming the capital of one of the most powerful states of its time. Sindon was one of the largest trading centers in the Mediterranean, and its seaport is one of the oldest man-made structures, partially preserved to this day. The city changed hands many times, having been part of many empires and states, and was considered one of the most impregnable cities. Now 200 thousand people live here,
5. Plovdiv, Bulgaria
First settlement 4000 BC
Plovdiv, formerly known as Philippopolis, is one of the oldest cities in Europe. Here, archaeologists have found settlements with Neolithic pottery dating back approximately 40,000 BC. The city has thousand-year history becoming one of the gates to the Balkans, having been under the rule of the Thracians, Romans, Byzantines and Ottomans. Now Plovdiv is the second largest city in Bulgaria, where slightly less than 350 thousand people live.
4. Aleppo, Syria
First settlement 4300 BC
One of the oldest cities in the world, Aleppo was founded in approximately 4300 BC and was located in a very favorable location at the intersection of many trade routes; life here has not subsided for several thousand years. The city was founded by the Hittites, who controlled it until 800 BC, after which it was ruled by the Assyrians, Greeks, Persians, Romans, and was conquered by the Crusaders, Mongols and Ottomans. Aleppo is now the capital and largest city of Syria, home to more than 2.4 million people and experiencing a renaissance, developing at a breakneck pace.
3. Byblos or Byblos, Lebanon
First settlement 5000 BC
One of the largest trading ports of antiquity, through which timber, wine, olive oil were exported, and was especially famous for papyrus. By the way, on behalf of this city, in many European languages The word "biblio" is borrowed. Over many centuries, Byblos has been part of many empires, kingdoms and states, there have been great ups and downs, now the city is called Bint Jubail where about 30,000 people live and serves as a stronghold for Hezbollah from where they will launch their attacks on Israel.
2. Damascus, Syria
First settlement 6300 BC
The city was founded by the Arameans, who created a network of canals that continue to be used today. The first settlement appeared here around 6300 BC, and a large city was formed here only by 2000 BC. The city was part of many great kingdoms and empires of its time, it was repeatedly destroyed to the ground, and its inhabitants were brutally slaughtered. Damascus is now the capital and second largest city of Syria, home to 1.75 million people.
1. Jericho, Palestna
First settlement 9000 BC
Jericho is the oldest city in the world, having seen the rise and fall of great civilizations and empires, where people have lived all this time. In ancient times, it was a thriving city, a center of trade and agriculture, it was even called the “City of Palms,” which is mentioned more than once in the Bible. Now only 20,000 people live here.