The World’s 10 Oldest Cities

THE WORLD’S 10 OLDEST CITIES

01 

Jericho
Founded: c 9000bc

the first settlers

were attracted by the numerous springs around the site, now within the Palestinian territories.

02

Byblos
Founded: c 5000BC

Known as Gubal by the Phoenicians and

renamed Byblos by the Greeks, this lebanese city is possibly the world’s oldest continuously inhabited settlement.

03

Aleppo
Founded: c 4300BC

founded as Halab, this syrian city was the capital of the Amorite dynasty of yamhad.

04

Damascus
Founded: c 4300BC

some argue that the syrian capital has been inhabited since 10,000Bc.

05
Beirut

Founded: 3000bc

the name of the lebanese capital is derived from the canaanite word Be’erot or wells. the underground water supply is still used to day.

06
Shush
Founded: c 4200BC
originally called susa, this iranian city was the capital of the elamite empire.


07
Faiyum
Founded: c 4000BC
this egyptian settlement is located on part of the site of the ancient
crocodilopolis, dedicated to
the worship of a sacred crocodile.


08
Sidon
Founded: c 4000BC
the base from which the Phoenician empire grew, this lebanese city was reputedly visited by Jesus,
st Paul and Alexander the Great.


09
Plovdiv
Founded: 4000BC
the discovery of pottery and other
everyday objects dating back several thousand years proves that the site of this Bulgarian city was settled in the neolithic Age.


10
Gaziantep
Founded: 3650BC
this city, now in southcentral turkey near
the syrian border, was founded by the Hittites.