Despite ongoing controversy about the moment of occurrence of each of the ancient village, there is a more or less agreed list, which includes the most ancient cities in the world, where life went on continually, and now they are inhabited.
One of the oldest
head of the list of Jericho, not once mentioned in the Bible under the name of "the city of trees," although from Hebrew name means "City of the Moon."Historians attribute the date of its origin as a settlement to the VII century BC, although some found traces of habitability are IX.That is, people lived here during the Chalcolithic or Neolithic to the ceramic.It so happened that the location of Jericho since time immemorial is on the warpath again, the Bible is a description of the taking of the city.He is endlessly passed from hand to hand, last happened in 1993, when Jericho went to Palestine.Repeatedly over the millennia of its residents left, but always returned and rebuilt.Now located 10 km from the Dead Sea Jericho willingly visited by tourists as rich in tourist attractions (for example, there was a courtyard of King Herod).In addition, this is the oldest city on earth is also unique in that it is, so to speak, the deepest location as it is located 240 meters below sea level.
who are older
second (sometimes contested championship) on the list of "most ancient cities in the world" goes to Damascus, the capital of modern Syria.Its appearance also applies to prehistoric times, but it becomes the largest city after the invasion of Aramaic, dating back to 1400 BC.One of the most charming cities in the Middle East, it is full of attractions.That there is only the Umayyad Mosque, part of the list of the greatest temples in the world, which stores the head of John the Baptist.This ancient city, there is a belief that, if the first wall, built on the earth after the flood, it was the wall of Damascus.Old city, which for many centuries not change its form, also surrounded by a wall, but it was erected in the time of ancient Rome.
Too oldest
concludes the first three settlements list of "ancient cities in the world," the Lebanese Byblos.Needless to say that in some lists it leads the second and even the first in seniority.These three cities have arisen long before the Bronze Age, but since it was continuously inhabited.Byblos is located in a suburb of Beirut.The very name of the city says that once he was a biblical city and called Hebe.Phoenician town, in ancient times it was the center of trade Papyrus, and now it is a well-known tourist destination.Interestingly it is the fact that a small number of inscriptions found on ancient artifacts, has not yet been deciphered, because this kind of protobibleyskogo letter has no gaps.Signs about 100, and the little inscriptions.Date of occurrence of the following contested city of Susa as the largest city in modern-day Syria Aleppo - someone thinks that in the VII century BC, these cities already existed, someone - no.
closes the list of "the most ancient»
subsequent birth of cities dated 4 millennium BC.Not all the most commonly cited list titled "The oldest city in the world" is mentioned Crimean Theodosia, while in Russia it was she who was considered the "eternal city", as it is based, according to some, in the VI century BC and was known as Ardabra.Back in the top ten include such ancient towns like Lebanon Sidon (4 th century BC.).By the same time dates the emergence of the Egyptian Fayum (Greek Krokodilpolya) and Bulgarian Plovdiv.Turkish Gaziantep and the Lebanese capital of Beirut several centuries younger.Next on the list of most frequently mentioned the following cities: Jerusalem, Tyre, Erbil, Kirkuk, Jaffa.All of them appeared many centuries before our era, and belong to the "old."
oldest in Russia
The most common lists titled "Ancient cities of the world" is not part of Derbent, or Zurich, or Ningbo, even though behind them at least 6,000-year history.So, Derbent (Arabic Bab al-Abvab - its name - translated as "Gates" or "great gate"), according to some, was already a settlement in the 4th millennium BC.This is the southernmost city in the Russian Federation already existed in the Bronze Age.Translated from Azerbaijani language the name sounds like "closed the gate."It is located in the isthmus between the Caucasus Mountains and the western shore of the Caspian Sea.This ancient town has always been a gateway to the way the caravan route from Europe to Asia.
also "ancient»
For most people, the concept of ancient Europe associated primarily with Greece.But the Swiss Zurich where ancient.The first settlements on its territory appeared in 4430-4230 years BC, that is, in the 5th millennium.Closer to our reckoning it conquered the Celts, then the village became part of the Roman Empire, and in these times mentioned under the name Turikum.The Chinese city of Ningbo, which has direct relevance to the Hemudu culture that existed in the 5th millennium BC, according to some allegations, was already inhabited in the Neolithic period.Archaeology is not in place, and the list of the most ancient cities in the world will enter the new name.
Closer to our chronology
List "Ancient cities of the world" is much broader than the "ancient" because the 2nd millennium BC, belong to many civilizations.Location of settlements that emerged in these centuries, goes beyond the Middle East.In Europe, it is primarily a city of ancient Greece and Rome.In this area, head the list of "continuously inhabited cities in the ancient world" of Athens.Notes about this city-state also start by saying that these places were inhabited in the Neolithic period.But details the Athens since pozdneelladskogo period, ie 1700-1200 years BC.The golden age for this powerful policy began in the middle of the 1st millennium, during the reign of Pericles.Legendary monuments known throughout the world, were built during this period, which is fairly well understood and described by the ancient Greek classics.Such historical evidence, as written on the papyrus works Vakhelida, Hyperides, Menander and Herodes, still exist.The works later, the world-famous Greek authors formed the basis for the popular "Myths and Legends" N. Kuhn.Ancient Greek philosophy, science, and culture are the foundation of modern knowledge.
extensive list
names of ancient cities in the world are very extensive list, which occupies more than one page, because that period ends in Antiquity our chronology, it has a specific date - 476 AD, indicating the fall of the Western Roman Empire.This period has been well studied, and the existence of many cities documented.Therefore, all of the huge list, you can name a few settlements known to literally everyone.Enter into it and the city disappeared from the face of the earth, but remained in the historical evidence, or the memory of posterity.These include the great cities of the ancient world, Babylon, and Palmyra, Pompeii and Thebes, Chichen Itza, and Ur, Pergamum and Cuzco, the ancient Greek Knossos and Mycenae, many cities in Asia and other continents.Mysteries of the ruins of these cities still to be resolved.For example, lost in the jungles of the mysterious Angkor - Cambodia stony heart, to re-open to the world in the middle of the XIX century, although the history of its origin goes back to the second century AD.Or are located on the top of the mountain, located at an altitude of 2450 meters above sea level, no less mysterious Machu Picchu.This ancient "city in the sky" is in Peru.
Zest city
ancient city of Demre in comparison with the above settlements just young.The first mention of it belong to the V century (not the millennium) BC.But it is a city of legend.Known in ancient times under the name of the world, it is famous not only unusual monuments, but above all the fact that it studied, lived and became famous St. Nicholas, also known as Nicholas pleasers Wonderworker, who is also St. Nicolaas, and Santa Claus.The most remarkable tradition of giving Christmas gifts came from this very city.The initiator was Saint Nicholas, the first bishop of Myra.The ancient city of Demre is a very popular tourist attraction.
very much in demand route "Demre-Kekova-World."The city remained a beautiful Roman theater, large enough to judge the significance of this major seaside center in ancient times.Kekova - the island.Interestingly it that its shores are a continuation of the walls of the sunken city in the quake.Very good modern town of Demre, the center of the same province of Turkey.
a very short list of
mysterious and beautiful ancient cities in the world.List of the best-known is this: the Bible, Jericho and Aleppo, followed by Sousa, Damascus, Sohag and Plovdiv.It is fair to point Derbent and Zurich, the "eternal city" Rome, as well as several towns in ancient China (Ningbo, Changshu, Changzhou, and others).Disappeared Babylon, Palmyra, Pompeii, Ur and Mycenae complete this more than a modest list of cities in antiquity.Unique attraction boasts ancient Persian Persipol.At one time it was the capital of the Achaemenid Empire, founded in VI-V century BC a huge state, later conquered by Alexander the Great.All the ancient city surrounded by legends, meet that very interesting.
