The oldest surviving cities in the world

Jericho is often considered the oldest surviving city with evidence suggesting some areas were built as early as 9,000 BC.

The Mar Saba Monastery in Jericho is one of the world's oldest monasteries that is almost continuously inhabited. Photo: Ameer qaimari/Shutterstock

Dozens of cities around the world have been inhabited for thousands of years. However, determining the oldest continuously inhabited city is not simple. The question is: If a city is destroyed, then restored, moved a little, rebuilt, then collapsed and rebuilt again, is it a new city or is it still the original city? On May 29, the science website IFL Science suggested a number of potential candidates for the title of the world's oldest city, most of which are located in the Middle East.

Jericho is often considered the oldest surviving city. Archaeological evidence suggests that it has had successive settlements over the millennia. Parts of the city and its famous walls are thought to have been first built around 9,000 BC.

However, these structures should not be confused with modern-day Jericho, a city in the West Bank of Palestine. The ancient part of Jericho is actually called Tell es-Sultan, located about 2 km north of the present-day city centre. As such, there is some debate as to whether the site can be considered continuously inhabited.

Aleppo, one of the world's oldest cities, before the Syrian Civil War (2011). Photo: Joel Carillet/Getty

Syria also has some strong contenders for the title of oldest surviving city. Damascus was previously widely accepted as the oldest surviving city, as archaeological evidence suggests that the city was inhabited as early as 9,000 BC. However, there is no clear evidence of significant human activity in Damascus until 2,000 BC.

Aleppo, another Syrian city, might be a safer bet. Archaeological evidence suggests that the city was likely inhabited as early as 6,000 BC. It really began to flourish during the Golden Age of the Silk Road from the 12th to the early 15th centuries.

Finally, the Egyptian city of Faiyum deserves a mention. The ancient Egyptians originally named the city Shedet. Because the settlement worshiped the crocodile god Sobek, the Greeks named the city “Crocodilopolis.” Located about 130 km southwest of modern Cairo, pottery and architecture near the city indicate that people have lived here since around 5,500 BC. This makes Faiyum the oldest city in Egypt and one of the oldest settlements in Africa.

Thu Thao (According to IFL Science )

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