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Step back in time with us as we explore the most ancient urban settlements on our planet! From stone-age foundations to modern metropolises, these cities have witnessed millennia of human history. Join our journey through civilization's earliest chapters and discover remarkable places that have stood the test of time.
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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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