history of human civilization has lasted more than five thousand years.Since ancient times people built the city in which the population lived in any country.Their reasons were different, but the city had to make life easier for people and improve the comfort of life.
Causes cities
urban settlements appeared long before our era.The history of the ancient East - that a direct proof, here was the beginning of urban planning.These towns arose as places of compact residence of the population.So, the progress of mankind in the field of production has led to the first serious phenomenon - the separation of handicrafts from agriculture.In fact, it meant the beginning of the rapid development of the productive forces, of course, they possibly had to be concentrated in one place.Thus, small settlements gradually grew, here come the artisans to sell their products, and there they remained.It was very convenient - to produce and sell in one place, and soon these villages acquired the city limits.The cradle of human civilization is considered to be the Middle East, therefore the oldest cities in the world are located here.
ancient oriental stage hail
second precondition for the emergence of ancient eastern city was trade.State of the period were active in commercial activities.Many merchants settled in places most convenient for these purposes - at the intersection of trade routes, sea coasts.This flocked numerous caravans.Over time, the small settlement turned into a major city with commercial specialization.Trade contributed to the influx of money and allowed to arrange well the city's neighborhoods, improve the quality of life of the population.It is in these cities for the first time in history there was a sewer, which in European cities was coined almost at the beginning of modern times.The oldest cities in the world are scattered biblical sites, many of which are described in this sacred book for Christians.Here you can read about the birth of cities, their destruction.Some cities will arise as a result of cruel, despotic rulers of that era.For example, such is the history of the ancient Egyptian city Ahetatona.By order of Akhenaten in an empty, bare, also unsuitable for the construction site, a new urban center.However, the choice was extremely unfortunate, shortly after the death of Pharaoh city was abandoned and ceased to exist.
oldest urban center
The oldest city in the world is also in the Middle East.They are considered to Jericho, which was located in the sacred land of Canaan to the Jews.According to legend, the Israelites were certainly seize this city, to gain access to the holy places for them.Siege of the city led by Joshua.For a long time Jews go around the city walls, in absolute silence, than pretty surprised citizens.Finally, at the end of the seventh day, the absolute silence interrupted by the screams and cries of the Israelites.The walls could not stand such a sound and collapsed.So he was captured Jericho, and all its inhabitants killed, except a woman named Rahab, who helped the Jews to capture the city.The oldest city in the world then received a second life, he has become an Israeli.According to the descriptions of contemporaries, the city was very beautiful.There were a lot of buildings of different styles and destinations.Jericho was attacked many times.After the destruction of the Israeli city of the kingdom has been virtually eliminated, but again, like a phoenix risen from the ashes.
Biblical place
Jericho - the oldest city in the world - has experienced in its history has seen many disasters, and a great many conquerors.The Babylonians attacked him twice, the second time all the people were taken captive.But it could not terminate the life of the city, he gradually built up and populated, only slightly changed its location.In the seventh century BC, Jericho was destroyed again.At this time, the Persians took it by storm and destroyed city building.Again, residents had armed building tools, to build the city.However, this does not trouble himself exhausted.During the reign of the Roman Emperor Vespasian on his orders the oldest city in the world has been destroyed again.But in the reign of the emperor has another - Adrian - the city once again restored.Since 1284 the settlement was located here, which is destroyed in the XIX century the Turkish troops.But fully to the life of this place did not happen.Soon there was established a new settlement, which still exists today.His history- a mixture of human and national tragedy, which lasted for centuries.However, the name Jericho preserved as a cultural and historical concept.
Cadiz and Trier
with a sunset period of the history of ancient Oriental leading position in the construction of the city passed to another continent.Europe has long been in the shadows, but the moment has come.Middle Ages - the period of greatest prosperity of European urban planning.There acted the same principles emergence of urban settlements.Cities emerged as a fortress, trade and craft, religious centers.At the turn of the eighth century, the early European cities formed a huge trade ring of northern France to Itil on the Volga.This is allocated a number of cities Spanish Cadiz - the oldest city in Europe.According to scientists, the city was founded by the Phoenicians as a staging trading center, it was later used as a military base on the coast of the Romans.In Europe, there are a few ancient urban complexes.The oldest town in Germany - Trier - was founded by the Roman emperor Augustus and was called for a long time the name of the founder.After the conquest of the city by the Germans as barbarians-city changes its name, which is preserved with slight modifications to the present day.
Progenitor Russian cities
Ancient Russia does not lag behind other European countries.Not for nothing in the Scandinavian sources it was called "Gardarika", which means the country towns.This indicates an active urban development in our country.By the XII century on the territory of Kievan Rus' it was already more than two hundred cities.According to archaeologists, at the end of the VI century on the Kiev hills existed a fortified urban settlement.According to legend, the oldest city in Russia was founded by three brothers - Scheck, Horiv and Kiem Lake.In honor of his older brother was named the city of Kiev, who later became the center of the field, and after its conquest by Oleg he became the capital of the ancient Russian state.
