More than 9 thousand years: the most ancient cities on Earth, in which people still live

Jericho, Palestine

The earliest traces of the inhabitation of people on the site of Jericho date from the archaeologists of the 9th millennium BC. But the remnants of defensive fortifications, which testify to the fact that there was a city settlement on this site, say that the buildings were erected about 6800 years before our era. Be that as it may, Jericho, which was uninhabited from the 7th to the 19th century, is recognized as the oldest city on our planet.

Bibl, Lebanon

The Phoenician city of Bibl, or Gebal, known from the 4th millennium BC, today is called Jebeil. Historians believe that the city was inhabited already in the 7th millennium BC. It is by the name of this city, which in the Ancient World was the most important center for the trade in papyrus, that the word "bible" happened, because "biblos" is translated from Greek as papyrus, and "bible" means a book.

Damascus, Syria

According to the Arab historian Ibn-Asakir, the city of Damascus was founded in the 4th millennium BC. Throughout its long history, Damascus belonged to the Egyptian pharaohs, was the center of the Damascus kingdom, was part of the empire of Alexander the Great and Byzantium. Today, Damascus is the capital of Syria and the second largest city in the country.

Aleppo, Syria

Another Syrian city, one of the oldest on the planet. Different sources give excellent data on the date of the founding of Aleppo: from 6 millennium BC to 3 millennium BC. In this city there are many monuments that confirm its ancient history.

Susa, Iran

In the Ancient World, this city was known as the capital of the state of Elam. Historians believe that the urban settlement of Susa emerged between the 7th and 4th millennium BC. Today, more than 60,000 people live in this Iranian city, where significant architectural objects have survived.

Argos, Greece

This small Greek city with a modern population of about 20,000 people is considered the oldest of the ever-populated cities of Europe. Historians believe that the settlement on the site of Argos existed already in the V millennium BC, but the official foundation of the city dates back to the 2nd millennium BC.

Athens, Greece

The capital of Greece also boasts its thousand-year history. Historians believe that, despite the fact that the first mention of the city is found in 1600 BC, it was founded much earlier, around 4 millennium BC. In Athens, preserved many architectural monuments of Antiquity, including the famous Parthenon.

Sidon, Lebanon

Sidon, as well as the Bible, is the oldest Phoenician port city. The date of the founding of Sidon is considered 4 millennium BC. Today this Lebanese city is called Saida, it is home to over 200,000 people.

El Fayoum, Egypt

Despite the abundance of historical monuments, Egyptian cities of the era of the ancient pharaohs almost did not survive. El-Fayoum is today the most ancient city of Egypt, whose foundation dates back to the 4th millennium BC.

Plovdiv, Bulgaria

The first mention of the town of Evmolpia, which was located on the territory of modern Bulgarian Plovdiv, dates back to 1200 BC. But the oldest settlements, historians believe, were founded in the 6th millennium BC. In Plovdiv well preserved Roman amphitheater, as well as other monuments of Antiquity and the Middle Ages.

Beirut, Lebanon

The Phoenician city of Barut is known from the 15th century BC, although the settlement on this site existed already in the 3rd millennium BC. Today it is the capital of Lebanon, and the city still occupies leading positions in the life of the region.

Jerusalem, Israel

This ancient city in the Middle East was founded in the 4th millennium BC, and the first mention in written sources of Jerusalem dates back to the XX-XIX centuries BC.

As you can see from this list, Rome, called the "eternal city", is not among the oldest inhabited cities of the planet, since it was founded only in the VIII century BC. Of course, the list of the oldest surviving cities on the planet can be changed after the appearance of new information or archaeological finds. Nevertheless, all of the urban settlements presented here are outstanding and have a very respectable age.