10 oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world
by DAILY SABAHJan 13, 20211:25 pm +03 +03:00
Byblos, Lebanon
The birthplace of the Phoenician alphabet, Byblos can trace back its origins to 5,000 B.C.
Shush, Iran
Dating back to 4,500 B.C., this city’s name means “water lily” in Hebrew.
Plovdiv, Bulgaria
Dating back to 4,000 B.C., the city of Plovdiv is nestled between three mountains.
Jericho, West Bank
Located in the occupied West Bank, Jericho has been inhabited for more than 10,000 years.
Athens, Greece
Greece’s capital and largest city had its first settlements between the 11th and 7th centuries B.C.
Argos, Greece
The birthplace of the Olympic games, Argos’ history dates back to 5,000 B.C.
Damascus, Syria
Dubbed the capital of Arab culture, Damascus can trace its history back to 9,000 B.C.
Gaziantep, Turkey
Located close to the Syrian border, Gaziantep’s first inhabitants settled there around 3,600 B.C.
Luxor, Egypt
The city dates back as far as 3,200 B.C. Luxor was the capital of Egypt in the 12th century.
Istanbul, Turkey
Home to many civilizations, Istanbul's oldest settlement was found on the Anatolian side, in Fikirtepe. Artifacts found there date back to 5,500 to 3,500 B.C.
