5 Oldest Cities In The World You Need To Know About

The Ancient City of Damascus located in the city centre of the capital city Damascus is the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world. Following the Syrian Civil War, the old city along with other historical sites were in imminent danger. In the present-day scenario, the old city of Damascus is one of the most endangered sites in the world. Ancient Damascene streets, Bab Sharqi street, Bab Tuma, Medhat Pasha Souq, Umayyad Mosque (one of the shrines here is believed to contain the body of St John the Baptist). One of the popular tourist attractions here is the ruins of the Jupiter Temple, built by the Romans during the rule of Augustus. 

There is an on-going debate as to which city is older, Damascus or Jericho. Both cities have evidences going back to 9000BC. While the question may seem very important, what amazes us is that these ancient cities continued to exist. Speaking of Jericho, the city is located in the Palestinian Territory of West Bank, near the Jordan River. Going by the history of excavation, the city dates back to the Stone Age, to the biblical New Testament time period to present-day--Jericho continues to be inhabited. The discovery of the Wall of Jericho (8000BC), located at Tell es-Sultan, supports the biblical accounts of the two walls of Jericho.

The Ancient City of Aleppo is located in the centre of Aleppo, the second largest city in Syria after Damascus. Along with Damascus, Aleppo also is one of the most endangered sites in the world. Civilisation dates back to 2400 BC in Aleppo. Al-Madina Souq in Ancient Aleppo is still an active trade centre for silk, spices and local products. Some of the most significant monuments include Aleppo Citadel, Al-Shibani Church, Bimaristan to name a few. 

One of the world's oldest cities, Athens, is also one of the most well known places in the world. In present times, Athens is a large bustling metropolis but its past is what it is mostly known for. Ancient monuments like the Parthenon--a key landmark, and World Heritage Sites like Acropolis of Athens and Daphni Monastery make Athens a tourist hub. The old city of Athens was also the city to host the first modern-day Olympic Games. 

Argos is home to civilisations, the earliest of which dates back to 7000BC, and also to various mythologies, ine of which is that of the birthplace of Perseus the son of god Zeus and Danae (the daughter of Aeriseus, the king of Argos). In present times most archaeologicak monuments in Argos are abandoned. Most remarkable ones are the Ancient Theatre, the Ancient Agora, Criterion of Argos (connected to the theatre) to name a few.