00:00El-Sultan contains evidence of human activity dating back more than 10,000 years.
00:05Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the cities around the world
00:10that possess the longest historical footprint.
00:12It's incredible how rich the land around here is with these pieces of Elamite culture.
00:18Keep in mind that these numbers are all approximate,
00:20as we're still a time machine away from nailing down precise dates.
00:24Number 10. Gaziantep, Turkey. 5,000 years.
00:28Although the site of present-day Gaziantep, Turkey was severely damaged during the 2023 Turkey-Syria
00:33earthquake, it continues to stand as one of the world's oldest cities. The history of this
00:38Anatolian area is said to date back 5,000 years, back to the Hellenistic period of post-classical
00:44Greece. Additionally, a diverse array of people have lived within Gaziantep over the years,
00:49from native Turks to those from Israel, Armenia, and Syria. Today, the populous and metropolitan
00:55Gaziantep stands tall in the face of that aforementioned earthquake, with the promise
00:59of rebirth after this most deadly natural disaster.
01:02Number 9. Fayum, Egypt. 6,000 plus years.
01:06Egypt is a nation full of formidable history and legitimate natural wonder.
01:10That said, the city of Fayum stands as a piece of living history,
01:14even among some of Egypt's most impressive and long-standing resources.
01:18The city in Middle Egypt is said to be approximately 6,000 years old, with some archaeological evidence
01:24placing habitation in the area to around 5,000 BC. Some of the most famous evidence of the
01:30Egyptian mummification and burial rites have been unearthed in Fayum, while today, the city
01:34houses a popular open-air market. Additionally, the history of Fayum and its connection with Sobek,
01:40the crocodile god, is also celebrated with mounds that mark the culture's historical relationship
01:45with its polytheistic past. Number 8. Erbil, Kurdistan. 6,000 years.
01:51This capital of Kurdistan possesses a history that dates back over 6,000 years,
01:55with human habitation said to have taken place analogous to the Egyptians in Fayum.
02:00It was the site of many battles during the BC era, and came under the control of the Assyrians,
02:05Ottomans, Macedonians, and more over the course of many years. Today, Erbil's Kurdish people
02:11populate much of its mountainous terrain, alongside many others who have fled the conflict
02:15in Syria. The area remains unstable at times, however, particularly when the United States
02:20possessed a military in Iraq. History buffs who find themselves in the region would do well to
02:25visit the Erbil Civilization Museum, which harbors many amazing artifacts from Erbil's pre-AD history.
02:32Number 7. Plavdiv, Bulgaria. 6,000 years. Plavdiv stands today as a lifeline to culture and
02:39connection for Bulgaria. Plavdiv is a multicultural city with many levels and many layers. So it's
02:46underground, and we have nature, we have hills. It's another city that has amassed over 6,000
02:51birthdays, dating back to the days of Alexander the Great and his conquering of Persia. There's a lot
02:57of evidence from this area intact today, since Plavdiv is home to hundreds of archaeological sites.
03:02Nebet-Tepe is one of the first settlements in Plavdiv. Tracians were here 4,000 years before Christ.
03:12They've done a lot to preserve this history as well, with multiple museums covering everything
03:16from aviation to artifacts from the Ottoman Empire. Aged churches and religious sites can also be found
03:22in Plavdiv, together with its rich culture of theater, music and art.
03:26The theater in Plavdiv is one of our prouds. It's still in function. It's a place for operas,
03:33concerts, and why not for contemporary art?
03:40Number 6. Sousa and Shush, Iran. 6,300 years. Very little of the original area of Sousa in Iran
03:47remains today. If you want to understand the complexities of Persian culture, then you
03:51couldn't come to a better place than Sousa. What does exist is about a kilometer of
03:55archaeological history, upon which the modern city of Shush currently stands.
04:00This physical area dates back over 6,300 years, one of the oldest to be settled in Iranian history.
04:06It is designated today as a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational,
04:11Scientific, and Cultural Organization, and is another city that passed through many
04:15different hands over thousands of years.
04:17Today, after all these years, the city of Sousa is still alive, and it's known as Shush. It is one of
04:23Iran's most ancient cities. Sousa never truly recovered after a Mongol invasion in 1218,
04:29and its people dispersed to cities like Desfal and the aforementioned Shush.
04:33It's here where Sousa's historical significance remains, with Shush's small but growing population.
04:38The centuries have been unkind to what Cyrus and his successors built here.
04:45Sousa eventually disappeared into the sands of time.
04:49Number 5. Athens, Greece. 5,000 plus years.
04:53It's difficult to nail down with absolute certainty the numbers game when it comes to
04:57what constitutes a city versus a province or settlement.
05:00So let's get to know Athens, one of the oldest cities in the world.
05:04As a result, cities like Athens and Argos in Greece may or may not be as old as some of the
05:09cities we've already mentioned. However, their reputations as cradles of modern civilization
05:14more than make their legacy impressive when it comes to their influence today.
05:18What matters most is how Athens' 5,000 plus year history has permeated so much of what we
05:23take for granted on a daily basis. From art and culture to politics, discourse, and philosophy,
05:28the importance of Athens is as impressive as its longevity as one of the world's iconic
05:33destinations.
05:35It's not only about ancient stuff here. Athens is a cosmopolitan city.
05:39Number 4. Biblos, Lebanon. 7,000 years.
05:43Lebanon is another country with multiple candidates for the world's oldest city prize.
05:48These include areas like Sidon, Beirut, as well as our next entry, Biblos.
05:52The history of this city is said to be over 7,000 years old,
05:55and has encompassed generations of people from areas like Egypt, Persia, Turkey, and Italy.
06:01Biblos has managed to flourish in the modern day, however,
06:04generating tourism thanks to its natural beauty and historical significance.
06:08Celebrities visited Biblos frequently back in the 60s and 70s,
06:11including Rat Pack leader Frank Sinatra and acting legend Marlon Brando.
06:16Number 3. Aleppo, Syria. 8,000 years.
06:19The fact that the area of Aleppo, Syria has been inhabited for over 8,000 years
06:24is nothing short of remarkable.
06:26It is one of the oldest cities in the world.
06:30The city thrived on trade for the East and the West
06:33and had been protected by the citadel in the city center.
06:38It used to be a massive trading hub back at the height of the Silk Road network
06:42that helped connect the East and West.
06:44Unfortunately, modern-day Aleppo suffered greatly during the Syrian Civil War,
06:48particularly during the 2010s.
06:50I feel angry because it's not the Aleppo that I used to know.
06:55It's not my city of my childhood.
06:58It's not the historical Aleppo.
07:00The area is still unstable today,
07:03despite a half million previously dispersed persons
07:05having returned to Aleppo in late 2016.
07:08Reconstruction projects that take place in the region of Aleppo
07:11have been forced to deal with not only moments of re-emerging conflict,
07:14but also natural disasters,
07:16such as the aforementioned Turkey-Syria earthquake of 2023.
07:20The initial earthquake struck overnight on the East Anatolian fault line
07:24that runs through southern Turkey.
07:26And it's 7.8 on the magnitude scale.
07:28It's by far the largest in the region in living memory.
07:31Number 2.
07:32Jericho, Palestine.
07:3311,000 years.
07:35Is Jericho the oldest city in the world?
07:37Some may say so,
07:39especially when it comes to its biblical history.
07:41In this sense, cities like Jericho continually come up in these sorts of conversations,
07:46along with other biblical cities such as Jerusalem.
07:49However, Jericho remains a strong contender for the title,
07:52especially considering that it is approximately 11,000 years old.
07:56Archaeological findings date Jericho's settlement at approximately 10,000 BC,
08:01while its connection with the Christian faith helps fund some of its modern tourism.
08:05This is despite Jericho's predominantly Muslim population.
08:08Jericho is also a haven for many rare birds and sits near the world-famous Dead Sea.
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08:30Number 1.
08:31Damascus, Syria.
08:3311,000 years.
08:34The city of Damascus is on par with Jericho as one of the oldest continually-habited cities in the entire world.
08:41This is despite the fact that modern-day Damascus is a place that's earned the bottom spot
08:45on the global livability ranking conducted by the Economist Intelligence Unit.
08:49Damascus has won these dubious honors multiple times, including as recently as 2023.
08:55This is due to the ongoing conflict in Syria,
08:58although Damascus's historical footprint dates back over 11,000 years.
09:02Both international trade and tourism have flourished during times of peace,
09:07and one can only hope that Damascus can once again achieve the potential
09:11that parallels its status as one of Earth's most venerable cities.
09:15Are you an avid traveler?
09:16Where would you like to visit?
09:17Let us know in the comments.
09:18It's also a place where different minorities meet,
09:23as Turkish, Jewish, Armenian people, Roma people, and of course, Bulgarian.
09:31Did you enjoy this video?
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