Ten Oldest Cities in the World

1- Annaba,Algeria 

Age: 3200 years 

The city was founded by the Numidians in the 12th century BC. It was called Hippo Regius. Hippo Regius was a center of early Western Christianity. Today Annaba has a population of 257,000. 

2- Varanasi, India 

Age: 3200 years 

In Hindu mythology, Varanasi was founded by Shiva himself. Some artifacts discovered by archeologists date back to 1800 BC. Varanasi is undoubtedly the oldest inhabited city in India. Around 528 AD, Buddha gave his first sermon nearby. The city has remained a cultural center for millennia.

3- Damascus, Syria

Age: 4000 years 

The earliest humans settled here around 10000 BC. But the city itself is much younger. Damascus emerged around the 2nd millennium BC. It was an important center for the Levant and the entire Arab world. It served as a capital of the Umayyad Caliphate from 661 to 750. Sadly, the city has been damaged in the Syrian Civil War. 

4- Luxor, Egypt 

Age: 5200 years

Luxor was known as Thebes in ancient times. It was the great capital of Upper Egypt during the New Kingdom. Thebes attracted Babylonians, Hittites, Minoans, and others. It was truly a nexus of ancient civilizations. It's still famous for its monuments and temples. Luxor is now a huge city of 1.3 million people. 

5- Taxila,Pakistan 

Age: 5380 years 

Taxila was an important city of Ancient India. One of the world's first universities was established there. Owing to its strategic location, Taxila has changed hands many times. It was reduced to ruins by the nomadic Hunas in the 5th century. Today it's the center of a larger area with a population of 667,000. 

6- Genoa, Italy 

Age: 6000 years  

In the 5th century BC the first town was founded on Castello Hill. A port city by birth, Genoa soon grew into a republic. In the 11th century AD, it was one of the maritime superpowers. It's still the busiest port in Italy. The metro area has more than 1.5 million inhabitants. 

7- Athens, Greece 

Age: 6400 years 

The Greek capital's recorded history spans over 3400 years. But it was already thousands of years old when records began. During Athens' age, it was home to Greek thinkers and writers. It was a center for the arts, learning, and philosophy. Athens has both Plato's Academy and Aristotle's Lyceum. It's widely recorded as the cradle of Western civilization. 

8- Argos, Greece 

Age: 7000 years 

Argos was a natural hub in Ancient Greece. It was one of the cities that had classical democracy. Argos continued to prosper under Roman rule. It's the oldest continually inhabited city in Europe. 

9- Byblos, Lebanon 

Age: 8000 years 

Byblos was first occupied around 8000 BC. This Levantine city was mentioned in Egyptian texts. Papyrus was one of the city's main trade items. The Greeks took the name of the city as their word for "book". "Bible" and "bibliography" also stem from the same word. 

10- Jericho, Palestine 

Age: 8800 years

Traces of habitation at Jericho date back to 9000 BC. But the city's birth is usually traced to its famous walls. The Walls of Jericho were built around 6800 BC. This makes it the oldest walled city in the world. Incredibly, Jericho has remained inhabited throughout history. Jericho is located below sea level. So it's also the lowest permanently inhabited site on Earth.