The first city in the world. The oldest city in the world

We continue to look at the oldest cities, which are believed to be permanently and still inhabited. We have already found out which one. Frankly, it was surprising for me. I would name completely different cities in response to the question about the oldest one. Apparently, we still remember well and put into memory ancient cities that have already been wiped off the face of the earth or are ruins.

In the same way, I was surprised to learn about most Old city Europe.

The earliest human settlements and traces of their activities in the area of today's city of Zurich date back to 4430 - 4230 BC. People also inhabited this area during the late Neolithic era, during the Bronze and Early Iron Ages.

In the 1st millennium BC, the Celtic tribe of the Helvetii settled here. Archaeological finds indicate the existence of a trading post here among the Helvetii. Following the Roman conquest of eastern Helvetia in 15 BC under Emperor Octavian Augustus, the area became part of the Roman Empire. The Romans had it here military base and a customs post, next to which a settlement with a market (vicus) later appeared. Its name was then Turicum, probably of Celtic origin.

Since Zurich is located at the end of the water system of lakes Zurich and Walensee, goods were brought here via the Roman province of Raetia from Italy, then loaded onto river ships for further transportation to the Rhine. Goods from Germany were transported back to the Roman Empire through Turicum. Initially, during the era of Roman rule, Turicum belonged to the province of Gallia Belgica, and from the end of the 1st century AD - to the border province of Upper Germany (Germania superior). The population of Zurich in the Roman period numbered 300 inhabitants.

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After administrative reform Emperor Diocletian from 286 Turicum was part of the province of Maxima Sequanorum created from the southern part of the province of Upper Germany. In connection with the invasions from the north of the German Alemanni tribe that began in the late 3rd century, Turicum was significantly fortified, and a castle was built under Emperor Valentinian I (364 - 375). In 401, due to the general withdrawal of Roman troops from the area north of the Alps, Turicum was abandoned by the Romans and occupied by the Alemanni. At the end of the 5th century, this territory was conquered by the Germanic tribe of the Franks and became part of the Frankish kingdom of the Merovingians. Under the Germans, traces of Romanization gradually disappeared, the population was Germanized, the city itself began to be called Zurich and became the capital of the county of Zurichgau. After the collapse of the Carolingian Empire in 843, this territory went to the grandson of Charlemagne, King of the East Frankish Kingdom, Louis the German.

In 853, Louis founded the Abbey of Fraumünster for his daughter Hildegard. Hildegard herself became his first abbess. This monastery was given the right to carry out customs duties, receive income from markets, and, from the 11th century, the right to mint coins. In 917, the vast Duchy of Swabia (Alemannia) arose with its capital in Zurich, and two years later, the Swabian Duke Burchard II defeated the Duke of Upper Burgundy Rudolf II at the Battle of Winterthur, thereby securing the Zurich region and lands up to Lake Constance (Thurgau). From this moment until the beginning of the 13th century, part of the lands in Zurichgau was under the control of the Fraumünster Abbey, part of it was under the control of the Dukes of Swabia (Zähringen), who in 1097 received from the Holy Roman Emperors hereditary governorship (vogt) over Zurich and Thurgau. By the 10th century, Zurich itself had become a real medieval city with monasteries, churches, a palace, a city wall and a moat; in the records of 929 it was first mentioned as a city (civitas).

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The city at that time was directly ruled by the chief abbess of the Fraumünster monastery. In 1140, a famous religious and religious figure expelled from Italy settled in Zurich. public figure Arnold of Brescian, who began to oppose the secular power of the monasteries. Although in 1145, at the insistence of the famous church leader Bernard of Clairvaux, he was expelled from Zurich, the sermons of Arnold of Brescian met with sympathy among the townspeople of Zurich, and they soon achieved that the city council, which had previously been the administrative body of the monastery and was appointed by its abbess, began to be elected by the townspeople .

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After the extinction of the Zähringen in 1218, Emperor Frederick II of Hohenstaufen awarded Zurich the status of an imperial city and granted a charter allowing the city council to exercise public self-government. The imperial governor was now appointed temporarily for 4 years. But the real mistress of Zurich was the abbess of Fraumünster, who in 1234 was given the status of imperial duchess with very broad powers by Frederick II; in particular, she approved the city charter and appointed the city mayor.

After the death of King Rudolf II of Habsburg in 1291 and the founding of the Swiss Confederation in the valleys of Uri, Schwyz and Unterwalden, Zurich formed an alliance with Uri and Schwyz against the Habsburgs, which forced it to withstand an unsuccessful siege in 1292 by the troops of Duke Albrecht I of Habsburg of Austria.

Changes in the social structure of Zurich contributed to the growth of trade and crafts; already in the 12th century, the weaving (woolen, linen and silk) industry appeared in the city, and in the 13th it developed. By this time, a layer of commercial and industrial patriciate had formed in the city, which owned all the power in the city council. In 1336, part of the lower nobility and artisans, not represented in the council, arrested and expelled most of the council members and proclaimed the nobleman Rudolf Brun as burgomaster. At the same time, a “sworn letter” (Geschworene Brief) was issued, according to which the management of the city began to belong to the two main classes. The first included the nobility and burghers, the second included representatives of the guilds. From among them, city government bodies were formed and the burgomaster was elected. Brun himself was elected burgomaster for life. The Zurich Constitution, which emerged as a result of the Zurich Guild Revolution, remained in force in its main features until 1798.

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The expelled members of the city council attempted a coup on the night of February 23, 1350, but were defeated and executed. Since the conspirators were supported by the counts of the city of Rapperswil on Lake Zurich, Brun's government decided to destroy Rapperswil. This caused a war with the Austrian Habsburgs, which is why on May 1, 1351, Zurich entered into an “eternal alliance” with the cantons of Uri, Schwyz, Unterwalden and Lucerne and thus became part of the Swiss Confederation. Only after three sieges of the city (in 1351, 1352 and 1354) was the Peace of Regensburg concluded between Austria and Zurich in 1355, which approved the city constitution, but at the same time preserved the city’s formal dependence on the empire.

As a member of the Swiss Confederation in the second half of the 14th - 15th centuries, Zurich took part in various wars waged by the alliance with its neighbors, and from 1436 to 1450. he himself waged war with the rest of the union during the so-called. The old Zurich war over a dispute over the inheritance of the extinct family of the Counts of Toggenburg. In this war, Zurich even entered into an alliance with Austria, which did not save it from defeat. During this war from 1440 to 1450, Zurich was temporarily excluded from the Swiss Confederation.

A new era in the history of Zurich was associated with the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century. Thanks to the activities of the rector of the Zurich Cathedral, Ulrich Zwingli, in 1519 Zurich became one of the first centers of the Reformation, from where it began to spread to other cantons.

In 1525, the Anabaptist movement that swept through Germany spread to Switzerland, mainly in the villages controlled by Zurich. Then under the banner religious reform Anabaptist peasants plundered and burned a number of monasteries, made several attacks on Zurich, but were eventually pacified.

The secularization of monastic lands and other actions of church reformers led in 1529 and 1531 to wars with the Catholic cantons of Switzerland (the so-called Kappel Wars), during the last of which Zwingli died.

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In the 16th and 17th centuries, Zurich became the industrial center of Switzerland, where the production of silk, flax, and wool continued to develop, and trade in grain and other local agricultural products, as well as salt and iron, flourished.

After the end of the Thirty Years' War in 1648, Zurich declared itself a republic, thereby finally breaking with the empire. Since Zurich acted as a defender of Protestants in Switzerland, in 1655, together with Bern, he went to war against the Catholic cantons of Schwyz and Lucerne due to the persecution of Protestants in Schwyz. This war, however, led to the defeat of Zurich. In 1712, together with Berne, Zurich spoke out in defense of the Protestants of Toggenburg. The defeat of the Catholics in this Second Wilmergen War ended the dominant position of Catholics in the Swiss Union.

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At the beginning of 1798, Zurich and its district, as a canton, became part of the Helvetic Republic created by Napoleon I. On March 26, 1798, the French army captured Zurich without a fight, but on March 30, the Austrians under the command of Charles of Austria-Teschen occupied the eastern part of Switzerland, established a provisional government in Zurich and announced that they had come to liberate the Swiss from the French, which caused a popular uprising. In 1799, two battles took place near Zurich. After the battle of June 4-7, French troops under the command of André Massena lost Zurich to the Russian-Austrian troops of Charles of Austria-Teschen. During the Second Battle of Zurich on September 25-26, Massena defeated the Russian troops of Alexander Rimsky-Korsakov.

On February 19, 1803, Zurich entered the new union state of 19 Swiss cantons created by Napoleon. After Napoleon's defeat, the Federal Diet met in Zurich on December 29, 1813, abolished the constitution imposed by them and, by September 7, 1814, developed a new treaty of union that established the Swiss Confederation.

In the 2nd half of the 19th and early 20th centuries, a number of large banks, insurance companies, trusts and concerns settled in Zurich. With the decline of the Zurich textile industry in the post-war period, the importance of the banking and insurance sector increased even more. Both due to the influx of immigrants and the annexation of neighboring villages at a fast pace There was an increase in the population of Zurich: in 1850 - 42 thousand people, in 1900 - 168 thousand people, in 1920 - 234 thousand people, in 1934 - 300 thousand people, in 1962 - 445,314 inhabitants. Then the population of Zurich dropped to 358 thousand people due to the mass exodus of residents to villages outside of Zurich.

During World War II, on December 27, 1940, Zurich was mistakenly bombed by the British Air Force, and on March 4, 1945, the American Air Force also mistakenly dropped 12.5 tons of conventional bombs and about 12 tons of incendiary bombs on the city.

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And now the traditional virtual city tours. Click on the pictures below and walk around the city.

Source
http: //www.cult-turist.ru

Ancient cities with a thousand-year history can surprise you not only with beautiful architecture and unique artifacts. Their old walls contain signs of previous eras and civilizations and show both positive and negative sides evolution of humanity.

1. Damascus, Syria

The capital of Syria, the city of Damascus, is also the second largest city in the state. Damascus has a population of almost 2 million inhabitants. The city is very well located between Africa and Asia, and this is advantageous geographical position at the crossroads of West and East, make the Syrian capital an important cultural, commercial and administrative center of the state.

The history of the city begins approximately 2,500 BC, although the exact historical period of the settlement of Damascus is still unknown to scientists. The architecture of the buildings is varied and is marked by several ancient civilizations: Hellenistic, Byzantine, Roman and Islamic.

The old walled city is breathtaking with its ancient buildings, narrow streets, green courtyards and white houses and all the more contrasts with the flow of tourists who come from all over the world to see this stunning ancient city.

2. Athens, Greece

The capital of Greece is Athens, the cradle of Western civilization with a population of about 3 million people. The history of the ancient city goes back more than 7,000 years, and its architecture bears the influence of Byzantine, Ottoman and Roman civilizations.

Athens is the birthplace of the greatest writers, playwrights, outstanding philosophers and artists. Modern Athens is a cosmopolitan city, the cultural, political and industrial center of Greece. The historical center of the city consists of the Acropolis (high city), a high hill with the remains of ancient buildings, and the Parthenon, a monumental temple of Ancient Greece.

Athens is also considered a huge archaeological research center and is full of historical museums, including the National Archaeological Museum, the Christian and Byzantine Museums, and the new Acropolis Museum.
If you decide to visit Athens, be sure to visit the port of Piraeus, which for many centuries was the most important port in the Mediterranean due to its strategic location.

3. Byblos, Lebanon

Ancient city of Byblos ( modern name Jbeil) is another cradle of many civilizations. This is one of the oldest cities in Phenicia, the first mention of which dates back to 5000 BC. It is believed that it was in Byblos that the Phoenician alphabet was invented, which is still used today.

There is also a legend that English word The Bible comes from the name of the city, since Byblos was an important seaport at that time through which papyrus was imported.

Currently, Byblos is a harmonious fusion of a modern city and ancient buildings and is a popular tourist destination, thanks to ancient fortresses and temples, a picturesque view of the Mediterranean Sea, ancient ruins and a port, which people come from all over the world to see.

4. Jerusalem, Israel

Jerusalem is the most visited ancient city in the Middle East and is the most important religious center in the world. This Holy place for Christians, Jews and Muslims, about 800,000 people currently live here, 60% of whom profess Judaism.

Throughout its history, Jerusalem has experienced many great tragic events, including sieges and destruction caused by the bloody Crusades. The old city was founded about 4,000 years ago and is strictly divided into four quarters: Muslim, Christian, Jewish and Armenian. The hardest place for tourists to get into is the isolated Armenian quarter.

In 1981, the Old Town was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Jerusalem is not just a city, for Jews all over the world it symbolizes native home, a place where you want to return after long wanderings.

5. Varanasi, India

India is a mystical country, the birthplace of ancient civilizations and religions. And a special place in it is occupied by the sacred city of Varanasi, located on the banks of the Ganges River and founded more than 12 centuries before the birth of Christ. Hindus believe that the city was created by the god Shiva himself.

Varanasi, also known as Benares, was a place of worship for pilgrims and wanderers from all over India. Mark Twain once said about this ancient city: “Benares is older than history itself, it’s even twice as old as everyone else.” ancient legends and the traditions of India, put together."

Modern Varanasi is an outstanding religious and cultural center, home to famous musicians, poets and writers. Here you can buy the highest quality fabric, excellent perfumes, stunningly beautiful ivory products, famous Indian silk and superbly crafted jewelry.

6. Cholula, Mexico

More than 2,500 years ago, the ancient city of Cholula was founded from numerous scattered villages. Various Latin American cultures existed here, such as the Olmecs, Toltecs and Aztecs. The name of the city in the Nahuatl language literally translates as “place of flight.”

After the city was captured by the Spaniards, Cholule began to develop rapidly. Great conqueror Mexico and conquistador Hernán Cortés called Cholula “the most beautiful city outside Spain."
Today, it is a small colonial town with a population of 60,000 people, the main attraction of which is Great Pyramid Cholula with a sanctuary on top. This is one of the largest man-made monuments ever built by man.

7. Jericho, Palestine

These days, Jericho is not Big city ca with a population of about 20,000 inhabitants. In the Bible it is called the “city of palm trees.” indicate that the first people began to settle here almost 11,000 years ago.

Jericho is located almost in the center of Palestine, making it an ideal location for trade routes. In addition, the natural beauty and resources of this area caused numerous invasions of enemy hordes into ancient Palestine. In the first century AD, the Romans completely destroyed the city, then it was rebuilt by the Byzantines, and destroyed again. After which it remained deserted for several centuries.

For almost the entire 20th century, Jericho was occupied by Israel and Jordan until it again became part of Palestine in 1994. The most famous sights of Jericho are the fabulously beautiful palace of Caliph Hisham, the Shalom al-Israel synagogue and the Mount of Temptation, where, according to the Bible, the devil tempted Jesus Christ for 40 days.

8. Aleppo, Syria

Aleppo The largest city in Syria, it is home to about 2.3 million people. The city has a very favorable geographical location, being in the center of the Great Silk Road, which connected Asia and the Mediterranean. The history of Aleppo goes back more than 8,000 years, although archaeologists claim that the first people settled in this area 13,000 ago.

In various historical eras, this ancient city was under the rule of the Byzantines, Romans and Ottomans. As a result, Aleppo's buildings combine several different architectural styles. Locals call Aleppo the “soul of Syria.”

9. Plovdiv, Bulgaria

The history of the city of Plovdiv dates back to 4000 BC. and for many centuries, this oldest city in Europe has been under the rule of many vanished empires.

It was originally a Thracian city, later captured by the Romans. In 1885, the city became part of Bulgaria and now it is the second largest city in the country and is an important educational, cultural and economic center of the state.

You should definitely take a stroll through the Old Town, where numerous ancient monuments are preserved. There is even a Roman amphitheater built here by Emperor Trajan in the 2nd century AD! There are many beautiful churches and temples, unique museums and monuments, and if you want to get a little touch of ancient history, be sure to visit this place.

10. Luoyang, China

While most ancient cities are located in the Mediterranean, Luoyang stands out from this list as the oldest continuously inhabited city in Asia. Luoyang is considered the geographical center of China, the cradle of Chinese culture and history. People settled here almost 4,000 years ago, and now Luoyang is one of the largest cities in China with a population of 7,000,000 people.

Many ancient cities claim the right to be called the first city on Earth. We will talk about the two oldest and most ancient cities, according to archaeologists and historians. These two cities are Jericho and Hamukar. These cities existed thousands of years ago.

Jericho

First of all, the definition of “ancient city” refers to Jericho, an oasis near the place where the Jordan River flows into the Dead Sea. The city of Jericho, widely known in the Bible, is located here - the same one whose walls once fell from the sound of the trumpets of Joshua.

According to biblical tradition, the Israelites began the conquest of Canaan from Jericho and, after the death of Moses, under the leadership of Joshua, crossing the Jordan, they stood at the walls of this city. The townspeople, hiding behind the city walls, were convinced that the city was impregnable. But the Israelis used an extraordinary military stratagem. They walked around the city walls in a silent crowd six times, and on the seventh they shouted in unison and blew the trumpets, so loudly that the formidable walls collapsed. This is where the expression “Trumpet of Jericho” comes from.

Jericho is fed by the water of the powerful spring Ain es-Sultan (“Source of the Sultan”), to which the city owes its existence. The Arabs call the name of this source a hill north of modern Jericho - Tell es-Sultan (“Mountain of the Sultan”). Already in late XIX century, it attracted the attention of archaeologists and is still considered one of the most important sites for archaeological finds of objects from the early historical period.

In 1907 and 1908, a group of German and Austrian researchers, led by Professors Ernst Sellin and Karl Watzinger, first began excavations at Mount Sultana. They came across two parallel fortress walls, built from sun-dried bricks. The outer wall had a thickness of 2 m and a height of 8-10 m, and the thickness of the inner wall reached 3.5 m.

Archaeologists have determined that these walls were built between 1400 and 1200 BC. It is clear that they were quickly identified with those walls that, as the Bible reports, collapsed from the powerful sounds of the trumpets of the Israelite tribes. However, during excavations, archaeologists came across the remains construction waste, which were of even greater interest to science than the findings that confirmed the Bible’s information about the war. But the first World War suspended further scientific research.

More than twenty years passed before a group of Englishmen, led by Professor John Garstang, was able to continue their research. New excavations began in 1929 and lasted about ten years.

In 1935-1936 Garstang encountered the lowest layers of Stone Age settlements.

He discovered a cultural layer older than the 5th millennium BC, dating back to a time when people did not yet know pottery. But the people of this era were already leading sedentary image life.

The work of Garstang's expedition was interrupted due to the difficult political situation. And only after the end of World War II did English archaeologists return to Jericho. This time the expedition was led by Dr. Kathleen M. Canyon, with whose activities all further discoveries in this ancient city in the world are associated. To participate in the excavations, the British invited German anthropologists who had been working in Jericho for several years.

In 1953, archaeologists led by Kathleen Canyon made an outstanding discovery that completely changed our understanding of the early history of mankind. Researchers made their way through 40 (!) cultural layers and discovered buildings of the Neolithic period with huge buildings dating back to the time when, it would seem, only nomadic tribes should have lived on Earth, earning their food by hunting and collecting plants and fruits. The results of excavations showed that approximately 10 thousand years ago a qualitative leap was made in the eastern Mediterranean associated with the transition to artificial cultivation cereals This led to drastic changes in culture and lifestyle.

The discovery of early agricultural Jericho was an archeological sensation in the 1950s. Systematic excavations here revealed a whole series of successive layers, united into two complexes: Pre-ceramic Neolithic A (8th millennium BC) and Pre-ceramic Neolithic B (7th millennium BC).

Today, Jericho A is considered the first urban settlement discovered in the Old World. The earliest of the known to science permanent buildings, burials and sanctuaries, built from earth or small round unbaked bricks.

The pre-ceramic Neolithic settlement A occupied an area of about 4 hectares and was surrounded by a powerful defensive wall made of stone. Adjacent to it was a massive round stone tower. Initially, researchers assumed that this was a tower of a fortress wall. But obviously, it was a special-purpose structure that combined many functions, including the function of a guard post for monitoring the surrounding area.

Protected by a stone wall, there were round, tent-like houses on stone foundations with walls made of mud brick, one surface of which was convex (this type of brick is called "pork's back"). To more accurately determine the age of these structures, the latest scientific methods, for example, the radiocarbon (radiocarbon) method.
Nuclear physicists, when studying isotopes, found that it is possible to determine the age of objects by the ratio of radioactive and stable carbon isotopes. Through sounding, it was established that the oldest walls of this city date back to the 8th millennium, that is, their age is approximately 10 thousand years. Even more ancient age had a sanctuary discovered as a result of excavations - 9551 BC.

There is no doubt that Jericho A, with its settled population and developed construction industry, was one of the first early agricultural settlements on Earth. Based on the many years of research carried out here, historians received a completely new picture of the development and technical capabilities that humanity had 10 thousand years ago.

The transformation of Jericho from a small primitive settlement with miserable huts and huts into a real city with an area of at least 3 hectares and a population of more than 2000 people is associated with the transition of the local population from simple gathering of edible cereals to agriculture - growing wheat and barley. At the same time, researchers have established that this revolutionary step was taken not as a result of some kind of introduction from the outside, but was the result of the development of the tribes living here: archaeological excavations of Jericho showed that in the period between the culture of the original settlement and the culture of the new city, which was built at the turn 9th and 8th millennia BC, life here did not stop.

At first, the town was not fortified, but with the advent of strong neighbors, fortress walls became necessary to protect against attacks. The appearance of fortifications speaks not only of the confrontation between different tribes, but also of the accumulation by the inhabitants of Jericho of certain material values that attracted the greedy gaze of their neighbors. What were these values? Archaeologists have answered this question as well. Probably the main source of income for the townspeople was barter trade: the well-located city controlled the main resources of the Dead Sea - salt, bitumen and sulfur. Obsidian, jade and diorite from Anatolia, turquoise from the Sinai Peninsula, cowrie shells from the Red Sea were found in Jericho - all these goods were highly valued during the Neolithic period.

The fact that Jericho was a powerful urban center is evidenced by its defensive fortifications. Without the use of picks and hoes, a ditch 8.5 m wide and 2.1 m deep was cut into the rock. Behind the ditch rose a stone wall 1.64 m thick, preserved at a height of 3.94 m. Its original height probably reached 5 m , and above there was a masonry of mud bricks.

The excavations revealed a large round stone tower with a diameter of 7 m, preserved to a height of 8.15 m, with an internal staircase carefully constructed from single meter-wide stone slabs. The tower contained grain storage and clay-lined cisterns to collect rainwater.

The stone tower of Jericho was probably built at the beginning of the 8th millennium BC. and lasted for a very long time. When it ceased to be used for its intended purpose, crypts for burials began to be built in its internal passage, and the former storage facilities were used as dwellings. These rooms were often rebuilt. One of them, destroyed in a fire, dates back to 6935 BC

After this, archaeologists counted four more periods of existence in the history of the tower, and then the city wall collapsed and began to erode. Apparently, the city was already deserted at this time.

The construction of a powerful defensive system required an enormous amount of labor, the use of a significant workforce and the presence of some kind of central authority to organize and direct the work. Researchers estimate the population of this first city in the world to be two thousand people, and this figure may be underestimated.

What did these first citizens of the Earth look like and how did they live?

An analysis of the skulls and bone remains found in Jericho showed that 10 thousand years ago, short people - just over 150 cm - with elongated skulls (dolichocephalians), who belonged to the so-called Euro-African race, lived here. They built oval-shaped dwellings from lumps of clay, the floors of which were recessed below ground level. The house was entered through a doorway with wooden jambs. There were several steps leading down. Most houses consisted of a single round or oval room with a diameter of 4-5 m, covered with a vault of intertwined rods. The ceiling, walls and floor were covered with clay. The floors in the houses were carefully leveled, sometimes painted and polished.

The inhabitants of ancient Jericho used stone and bone tools, did not know ceramics and ate wheat and barley, the grains of which were ground on stone grain grinders with stone pestles. From eating too much food, which consisted of cereals and legumes ground in stone mortars, these people’s teeth completely wore out.

Despite a more comfortable habitat than that of primitive hunters, their life was extremely difficult, and average age the inhabitants of Jericho did not exceed 20 years of age. Infant mortality was very high, and only a few lived to be 40-45 years old. There were obviously no people older than this age in ancient Jericho.

The townspeople buried their dead right under the floors of their homes, wearing iconic plaster masks with cowrie shells inserted into the eyes of the masks on their skulls.

It is curious that in the oldest graves of Jericho (6500 BC), archaeologists mostly find headless skeletons. Apparently, the skulls were separated from the corpses and buried separately. The cultic beheading is known in many parts of the world and has been practiced down to our time. Here, in Jericho, scientists apparently encountered one of the earliest manifestations of this cult.

During this “pre-ceramic” period, the inhabitants of Jericho did not use earthenware - they replaced it with stone vessels, carved mainly from limestone. Probably, the townspeople also used all kinds of wickerwork and leather containers like wineskins.

Not knowing how to sculpt pottery, the ancient inhabitants of Jericho at the same time sculpted animal figures and other images from clay. In residential buildings and tombs of Jericho, many clay figurines of animals were found, as well as stucco images of the phallus. Cult masculinity was widespread in ancient Palestine, its images are also found in other places.

In one of the layers of Jericho, archaeologists discovered a kind of ceremonial hall with six wooden pillars. It was probably a sanctuary - a primitive predecessor of the future temple. Inside this room and in its immediate vicinity, archaeologists did not find any household items, but they found numerous clay figurines of animals - horses, cows, sheep, goats, pigs and models of male genital organs.

The most amazing discovery in Jericho was the stucco figurines of people. They are made from local limestone clay called "hawara" with a reed frame. These figurines are of normal proportions, but flat in front. Nowhere, except for Jericho, have such figurines been encountered by archaeologists before.

Life-size group sculptures of men, women and children were also found in one of the prehistoric layers of Jericho. They were made using cement-like clay, which was spread on a reed frame. These figures were still very primitive and flat: after all, plastic art was preceded for many centuries by rock paintings or images on cave walls. The found figures show how much interest the inhabitants of Jericho showed in the miracle of the origin of life and the creation of a family - this was one of the first and most powerful impressions of prehistoric man.
the emergence of Jericho - the first urban center - indicates the emergence tall shapes public organization Even the invasion of more backward tribes from the north in the 5th millennium BC. could not interrupt this process, which ultimately led to the creation of highly developed ancient civilizations of Mesopotamia and the Middle East.

Hamukar

The ruins of a city that scientists believe is at least 6,000 years old have been discovered in Syria. The discovery actually changed traditional ideas about the appearance of cities and civilization on Earth in general. It forces us to consider the spread of civilization in a new light, starting from an earlier time. Before this discovery, cities dating back to 4000 BC were discovered only in ancient Sumer - between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in the territory of modern Iraq, while the last, most ancient, was found in the southeastern part of Syria under a huge hill near the village of Hamukar . The mysterious city was also named Hamukar.

For the first time, archaeologists began to actively dig the ground here back in the 1920s -1930s. Then they assumed that it was here that Vashshukani was located - the capital of the Mitanni Empire (approximately the 15th century BC), which had not yet been discovered. But no signs of settlement of this area were found then - the “Vashshukan theory” turned out to be untenable.

Many years passed, and scientists again became interested in this place. And not in vain: after all, it is located on one of the most important transport arteries of antiquity - the road from Nineveh to Aleppo, along which travelers and caravans of merchants stretched. This situation, according to scientists, provided a lot of advantages and created excellent preconditions for the development of the city.

Researchers actually discovered signs indicating its existence back in the middle of the 4th millennium BC.

Then the first cities arose one after another in Southern Iraq, and their colonies were formed in Syria.

This time, archaeologists were determined - in the most literal sense - to get to the bottom of the truth. A special Syrian-American expedition was formed to explore Hamukar, the director of which was McGuire Gibson, a leading researcher at the Oriental Institute at the University of Chicago. The first shovel hit the ground in November 1999. The expedition needed to get used to it, settle in, prepare the excavation area, hire local residents for heavy work...

It all started with the compilation detailed map terrain. And only then, with her help, archaeologists began the next, no less painstaking stage of work: it was necessary to carefully - almost with a magnifying glass in hand - examine the entire excavation area, collecting various shards. Such studies would provide a fairly accurate idea of the size and shape of the settlement. And luck really smiled on archaeologists - ancient cities hidden in the ground “fell out” as if from a cornucopia.

The first settlement found dates back to approximately 3209. BC. and occupied an area of about 13 hectares. It gradually grew, its territory increased to 102 hectares, and subsequently the settlement became one of the largest cities of that time. Then, based on the items found, other, more interesting sites for excavations were identified. In the eastern part of the settlement, archaeologists discovered a building in which pots were fired. And the main result of the inspection of the area was the discovery of a large settlement south of the hill. Its more detailed study confirmed that this territory began to be populated at the beginning of the 4th millennium BC. If all the discovered settlements are recognized as one city, then its area will be more than 250, which is hard to believe. At that time, in the era of the birth of the first urban settlements, such a large city was a real metropolis of antiquity.

Satellites have helped scientists well. The photographs taken from them gave the researchers another idea when, 100 m from the hill, on its northern and eastern sides, they discerned a dark, twisting line, similar to a city wall, while only a small slope was visible on the ground. Further examination showed that the wall could have been located closer to the hill, and the slope was preserved from a ditch that supplied the city with water.

Excavations were carried out in three zones. The first is a trench 60 m long and 3 m wide, running along the northern slope of the hill. Its gradual digging made it possible for archaeologists to examine the development of the settlement in different eras, since each step was 4-5 m lower than the next. So: the lowest layer that scientists reached showed a city 6000 years ago!

On the next level, walls of several houses made of clay bars were discovered, as well as a huge, possibly city wall, 4 meters high and 4 meters thick. The remains of pottery underneath date back to the middle of the 4th millennium BC. Next comes a level dating back to 3200 BC. Ceramics from here refer to the creativity of the peoples of Southern Iraq, which indicates the interaction of the Syrian and Mesopotamian peoples at that time.

These houses are followed by “younger” buildings, built in the 3rd millennium BC. There are already baked brick houses and wells here. Directly above one of the houses there is a later building - from the mid-1st millennium - and then there is a modern cemetery.

Another excavation area was replete with shards. They divided it into sections of five square meters and carefully “shoveled” all the soil. Archaeologists have discovered houses here with perfectly preserved clay walls. And inside there were huge quantities of things from days gone by - all covered with a thick layer of ash. This created great difficulties for scientists: try to find burnt fragments in the cracks of the floors, in various irregularities and holes.

Soon the sources of such abundant ash were found - in one room the remains of four or five slabs made of clay bars, which were partially burned when the stoves were heated, were excavated. Around the slabs there were remains of barley, wheat, oats, and animal bones. Therefore, power stoves are used for baking bread, brewing beer, cooking meat and other products.

The ceramics discovered here amazed scientists with their diversity: large pots for preparing ordinary food, small vessels, as well as small elegant vessels, the walls of which are equal to the thickness of an ostrich egg shell. Figurines with big eyes, perhaps some deities from the middle of the 4th millennium BC.

But still, 15 seals in the form of carefully drawn animals tell the most complete story about the society of that era. All of them were found in one hole, presumably a grave. Also found here were a huge number of beads made of bone, earthenware, stone and shells, some of them were so small that it can be assumed that they were not used as necklaces, but were woven or sewn into clothing.

The seals are carved from stone in the shape of animals. One of the largest and most beautiful seals is made in the form of a leopard, the spots on which are made using small pins inserted into drilled holes. A seal was also found, not inferior to a leopard print in beauty - in the form of a horned animal, which, unfortunately, the horns broke off. Large seals much more varied, but much fewer in number than the small ones, the main types of which are lion, goat, bear, dog, hare, fish and birds. The larger, more elaborate seals must have belonged to people of great power or wealth, while the smaller ones may have been used by others to denote private property.

In a small pit two meters deep in the north-eastern part of the excavation, just below the surface, the researchers discovered a wall dating back to the 7th century. AD, and a meter lower - the corner of the building, strengthened by a support with two niches. The support was installed next to the door that leads to the east. The door jamb, buttress, niches and south wall are covered with lime. Typically, such supports with niches were installed not near private, but near temple buildings. Pottery fragments found near the temple indicate beginning III millennium BC, that is, the Akkadian period, when the rulers of Akkad, a state in southern Mesopotamia, began expanding into the territory of what is now Syria. Since this critical period the history of Mesopotamia, the place where so many eras are intertwined, becomes the main focus of the expedition's forces in the next season.

Previously, historians assumed that the Syrian and Turkish states began to actively develop only after contact with representatives of Uruk, an ancient state in Southern Iraq. But the excavations of Hamukar prove that highly developed societies appeared not only in the Tigris-Euphrates valley, but also in other areas at the same time. Some researchers even believe that civilization originally began in Syria. The discovery actually changed traditional ideas about the emergence of cities and civilization in general, forcing us to consider its birth and spread at an earlier time.

While it was previously believed that civilization began in the Uruk period (ca. 4000 BC), there is now evidence of its existence as far back as the Ubaid period (ca. 4500 BC). This means that the development of the first states began before the advent of writing and other phenomena considered criteria for the emergence of civilization. Vital connections began to form between different peoples, and people exchanged experiences. Civilization began to march across the planet with leaps and bounds!

The excavations of Hamukara promise many more discoveries, because this is the only place where the layers of 4000 BC. lie two meters from the surface and even higher.

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The list of the oldest cities in the world includes settlements in which people have constantly lived from ancient times to the present day. It is quite difficult to determine which of them appeared earlier, since in scientific circles it is customary to distinguish between the concepts of “urban-type settlement” and “city”.

For example, Byblos was inhabited already in the 17th century. BC e., but received city status only in the 3rd century. BC e. For this reason, there is no single point of view on the question of whether it can be considered the oldest in the world. Jericho and Damascus are in the same ambiguous position.

In addition to the top three, there are other ancient cities in the world. They are located in all corners of the world.

The most ancient cities of East Asia

The most ancient cities in East Asia, Beijing and Xian, are located in China. This country rightfully belongs to the most ancient civilizations in the world. There are practically no dark spots in its history, since it is recorded in written sources, so it is relatively easy to establish the dates of the founding of settlements.

Beijing

Beijing is the capital and largest political, educational, cultural center of China people's republic. Its original name is literally translated into Russian as “Northern Capital”. This phrase corresponds to both the status of the city and its location today.

The first cities in the area of modern Beijing appeared in the 1st century. BC e. At first, the capital of the Yan kingdom was located there - Ji (473-221 BC), then the Liao Empire established its southern capital on this site - Nanjing (938). In 1125, the city came under the control of the Jurren Jin Empire and was named Zhongdu.

In the 13th century, after the Mongols burned the settlement and it was rebuilt, the city received two names at once: “Dadu” and “Khanbalik”. The first is on Chinese, the second is in Mongolian. It is the second option that is reflected in the notes of Marco Polo left after his trip to China.

Beijing received its modern name only in 1421. Historians believe that in the period from the 4th to the beginning of the 19th century. it was one of the largest cities in the world. During this time, it was repeatedly destroyed and rebuilt, deprived of its status as a capital, and then returned. Empires also changed, under whose control the old settlement fell, but people continued to live there.

Currently, Beijing's population is almost 22 million people. 95% of them are indigenous Chinese, the remaining 5% are Mongols, Zhuers, and Huis. This number includes only people who have a residence permit in the city, but there are also those who came to work. The official language here is Chinese.

The city is considered a cultural and educational center. There are many architectural monuments, museums, parks and gardens. There are more than 50 higher educational institutions where Russian citizens receive education. For lovers nightlife You won’t be bored either - the capital of China has several areas with popular night bars.

The main attractions of Beijing:

Interesting facts about the capital of the People's Republic of China:

The government spent $44 billion on preparations for the 2008 Olympic Games. This is by far the world's largest expenditure on a sporting event.
There are 980 buildings on the territory of the Forbidden City; according to researchers, they are all divided into 9999 rooms.
The Beijing metro is considered the 2nd longest in the world.

The northern capital of the PRC does not claim to be the most ancient city in the world, but the history of its formation is still of interest to scientists.

Xi'an

Xi'an is a city in the People's Republic of China, located in Shaanxi Province. It is more than 3 thousand years old. For some time it was considered one of the largest in the world in terms of area and number of inhabitants.

In the II century. BC e. The Great Silk Road ran through the city. At that time it was called “Chang’an”, which translates as “long peace”.

Like Beijing, the city was destroyed several times during wartime and then rebuilt. The name has also changed several times. The modern version took hold in 1370.

According to 2006 data, more than 7 million people live in Xi'an. By government decree in 1990, the city was transformed into a cultural, educational and industrial center. The largest aircraft manufacturing center is located here.

Sights of Xi'an:

Interesting Facts about the administrative center of Shaanxi Province:

Xi'an remained the capital of China during the reign of 13 consecutive imperial dynasties. This is the longest period.
There is a city wall here, which is more than 3 thousand years old. For such a period it was quite well preserved.
During the reign of the Tang Dynasty (VII-IX centuries) the city was the most populated in the world.

Xi'an has long ceased to be the actual capital of the PRC, but thanks to its rich history dating back several centuries, it continues to be the main cultural center.

The most ancient cities of the Middle East

There are three ancient cities in the Middle East: Balkh, Luxor and El-Fayoum. The researchers came to the conclusion that all of them were founded no earlier than the 1st century. BC e. They are of interest from both a historical and cultural point of view.

Balkh

Balkh is a city located in the province of the same name in Pakistan. It is believed that it was founded in 1500 BC. e. during the resettlement of Indo-Iranians from the Amu Darya region.

During the heyday of the Silk Road, its population reached 1 million; now this figure has decreased significantly. According to 2006 data, only 77 thousand people live in the city.

Before the beginning of the Hellenistic era, the city was considered the largest spiritual center. According to legend, it was there that Zarathustra, the founder of Zoroastrianism, one of the oldest religious teachings in the world, was born.

In 1933, Balkh became one of the 3 Afghan cities in which Jews were allowed to live. It was prohibited to leave the village unless absolutely necessary. A kind of Jewish ghetto formed here because representatives of this people preferred to settle separately from the rest. As of 2000, the Jewish community in the city had collapsed.

Attractions:

Tomb of Khoja Parsa;
Madrasah of Said Subkhankulikhan;
Robiai Balkhi's grave;
Masjidi Nuh Gumbad.

Interesting facts about the city:

In 1220 Balkh was destroyed by Genghis Khan and lay in ruins for almost a century and a half.
The first Jewish community in the city was founded in 568 BC. e., there, as legend says, Jews expelled from Jerusalem settled there.
The main local attraction, the Green Mosque or Tomb of Khoja Parsa, was built in the 15th century.

Currently, this settlement is considered a major center of the textile industry.

Luxor

Luxor is a city located in Upper Egypt. Part of it lies on the eastern bank of the Nile. Was known as "Uaset" in the ancient world. It occupies the place where, according to historical data, the capital of Ancient Egypt, Thebes, was located. 5 centuries have passed since its foundation. Considered to be the largest museum under open air, therefore it is currently a tourist center.

Luxor is conventionally divided into two districts - the “City of the Living” and the “City of the Dead”. Most of the people live in the first region; in the second, due to the huge number of historical monuments, there are practically no settlements.

According to 2012 data, the population of Luxor is 506 thousand people. Almost all of them are Arabs by nationality.

Attractions:

Interesting Facts:

in 1997, members of the Islamist group Al-Gamaa-Al-Islamiya carried out the so-called Luxor massacre in the city, during which 62 tourists died;
in summer the temperature reaches + 50 °C in the shade;
At one time the city was called “The Hundred Gates of Thebes.”

Now Luxor receives its main income from tourists.

El Fayoum

El Fayoum is a city in Central Egypt. Located in the oasis of the same name. Around it lies the Libyan Desert. Scientists have come to the conclusion that the city was founded more than in the 4th century. BC e. Its modern name comes from the Coptic language and means “lake”.

The city was the administrative center of Ancient Egypt. At that time, he bore the name Shedet, which literally translates as “sea.” The settlement received this name due to the fact that on its territory there was an artificial Lake Merida, in the waters of which crocodiles were bred to honor the Egyptian god Sebek.

In historical documents the city is also found under the name Crocodilopolis.

Currently, the population of Al-Fayoum is about 13 thousand people. The city is an agricultural center. Olives, grapes, sugar cane, dates, rice, and corn are grown in its fields. They also produce rose oil here.

The city's attractions:

Interesting facts about Al-Fayoum:

national symbol the province in which the city is located - 4 water wheels;
the Catholic Church currently believes that it has no authority over the city, although it was once a religious center;
Lake Merida was dug almost 4 centuries ago.

It was in El-Fayoum that funerary portraits dating from the 1st-3rd centuries were first found. In honor of the city they were called “Fayum”.

The most ancient cities in Europe

The oldest city in the world, if we consider its European part, is Athens. Its name is known to every person. But there are other ancient settlements in Europe, for example, Mantua and Plovdiv, which are not nearly as famous.

Athens

Athens is one of the most famous and oldest cities in Greece, the capital of the state. It was founded approximately in the 7th century. BC e. The first written monuments that were discovered there date back to 1600 BC. e., but it is known for certain that people lived in Athens long before this time.

The settlement received its name in honor of its patroness, the goddess of war and wisdom, Athena. In the 5th century BC e. it became a city-state. It was there that the model first appeared democratic society, which is still considered ideal.

Such famous philosophers and writers as Sophocles, Aristotle, Socrates, Euripides, Plato were born in Athens. The ideas highlighted in their works are relevant to this day.

As of 2011, the population in Athens reached 3 million people, which is approximately a third of the total population of Greece.

The city center, where the Acropolis of Athens once stood, is now favorite place tourists. Most of the ancient buildings were razed to the ground by time and wars; modern multi-storey buildings were built in their place. It is home to one of the largest European higher education institutions - the Polytechnic University of Athens.

Attractions:

Interesting Facts:

the most popular sports in Athens are basketball and football;
in Greek the city is called "Athena" rather than "Athens";
the settlement is considered the birthplace of the theater.

Now in the capital of Greece there are many museums where you can get acquainted with unique monuments visual arts, dating back to the 2nd-3rd centuries. BC e.

Mantua

Mantua is an Italian city founded in the 6th century. BC e. It is surrounded on three sides by the waters of the Mincio River, which is quite unusual since builders usually try to avoid marshy areas.

For a long time Mantua was considered a city of art. It was here that the famous artist Rubens began his career - the author of the paintings “Entombment”, “Hercules and Omphale”, “Elevation of the Cross”. In the XVII-XVIII centuries. From a haven for cultural figures, the city was reclassified as an impregnable bastion.

The population of Mantua, according to data for 2004, was 48 thousand people. Currently, the city is a tourist center, as it has preserved many architectural monuments from different centuries.

Attractions:

Interesting Facts:

Virgil, the creator of the Aeneid, one of the most famous ancient Roman poets, was born in one of the outskirts of Mantua;
in 1739, Charles de Brosse, a French historian, wrote that the city can only be approached from one side, since it is surrounded by swamps;
The historical center of Mantua is one of the World Heritage Sites.

The city's patron saint is Saint Anselm, who was not officially canonized. His memorial day falls on March 18. At the same time, residents celebrate City Day.

Plovdiv

The oldest city in the world, located on the territory of modern Europe, according to historian Dennis Rodwell, is Plovdiv. Now it is considered the second largest in Bulgaria. Once upon a time the city bore the names “Philippopolis” and “Filibe”. The first settlements on its territory appeared in the 6th century. BC e., during the Neolithic era.

At the beginning of World War II, the city took a central place in organizing support for the alliance between the USSR and Bulgaria. In 1941, the city was occupied by the Germans, as Bulgaria entered into an alliance with Germany. However, the resistance of the residents was not completely suppressed. A reconnaissance group was operating in the city, and in February 1943 it was defeated.

Currently, Plovdiv is the second most populous city in Bulgaria. It is home to 367 thousand people. The city has developed industries: agricultural, food, clothing, non-ferrous metallurgy. It is also home to the only factory in the country that produces cigarette filters and paper.

Attractions:

Fun facts:

in Plovdiv there is a whole street with workshops that belong to hereditary artisans;
Every year the International Plovdiv Fair is held here, which is popular throughout Europe;
Bulgarian astronomer, Violetta Ivanova, discovered an asteroid, which she named after the city.

Every year an international boxing championship is held in Plovdiv.

The most ancient cities of the Middle East

In the Middle East there are two settlements that claim to be the oldest city in the world - Byblos and Jericho.

Bible

Byblos is an ancient Phoenician city, which is located on the territory of modern Lebanon, not far from Mediterranean Sea. Currently it is called "Jbeil".

Historical finds indicate that Byblos was inhabited already in the 7th century. BC e., during the Neolithic era. But it was recognized as a city only after 4 centuries. And in ancient times it was considered the oldest settlement, but now its status is controversial.

The oldest city in the world, according to some scientists, Byblos is located on a well-protected hill, around which there is a lot of fertile soil, so this place was inhabited in the Neolithic era. But, for some unknown reason, by the arrival of the Phoenicians in the 4th century. BC e. there were no longer any inhabitants left, so the newcomers did not have to fight for the territory.

In the ancient world, the city's specialty was the papyrus trade. From its name come the words “byblos” (translated as “papyrus”) and “bible” (translated as “book”).

Currently, only 3 thousand people live in Byblos. Most of them adhere to Catholic and Muslim religious views. The city is one of Lebanon's main tourist centers.

Attractions:

Interesting Facts:

the Biblical alphabet has not yet been deciphered, since there are too few inscriptions on it, and there are no analogues in the world;
Egyptian was the official language in the city for a long time;
Egyptian myths say that it was in Byblos that the goddess Isis found the body of Osiris in a wooden box.

The city is located 32 km away. from the current capital of Lebanon - Beirut.

Jericho

The oldest city in the world, according to most scientists, is Jericho. The first traces of habitation that were discovered there date back to the 9th century. BC e. The oldest city fortifications that were discovered were built at the end of the 7th century. BC e.

Jericho is located on the territory of modern Palestine, in the area of the West Bank of the Jordan River. He is mentioned several times in the Bible, and not only under his original name, but also as a “city of palm trees”.

In the middle of the 19th century. On a hill near the Jordan River, excavations began to be carried out, the purpose of which was to search for the ancient remains of Jericho. The first attempts did not produce any results. But at the beginning of the 20th century, the hill was completely excavated.

It turned out that in its depths lay layers of architectural structures dating back to 7 different time periods. After repeated destruction, the city gradually moved to the south, which is why this phenomenon arose. The population of modern Jericho is only 20 thousand inhabitants.

The city, which is considered the oldest in the world, has been closed to visitors since 2000, after armed uprisings in Palestine. In exceptional cases, the leadership of the Israeli army gives tourists the go-ahead to visit.

Attractions:

ruins of ancient Jericho;
Forty Day Mountain;
Zacchaeus tree.

Interesting Facts:

in Hebrew the name of the city sounds like “Yericho”, and in Arabic it sounds like “Ericha”;
this is one of the oldest settlements in which people lived continuously;
Jericho is mentioned not only in the Bible, but also in the works of Josephus, Ptolemy, Strabo, Pliny - all of them were ancient Roman writers and scientists.

Proponents of the separation of the concepts of “city” and “urban settlement” believe that only Damascus, the capital of modern Syria, can compete with Jericho in age.

What is the most ancient city in Russia?

Until 2014, Derbent, located in the southern part of the Republic of Dagestan, was considered the most ancient city in Russia. The first mention of a settlement on its territory dates back to the 6th century. BC e. The city itself was founded in the 5th century. n. e.

In 2017, after the annexation of the Crimean Peninsula, Kerch began to be considered the oldest city in Russia. On its territory, sites dating back to the 8th century were discovered. BC e. The first settlement appeared in the 7th century. BC e. And the city itself was founded around the 3rd century. BC e.

First time member Russian Empire Kerch entered the city at the end of the 8th century. as a result Russian-Turkish War. At this time, there was active mining of shells and limestone for construction needs. By the beginning of the 20th century. Iron ore deposits were discovered near the city, which played a big role in the economic development of the city.

Currently, the population of Kerch is 150 thousand people. Tourists often come to the city, as it is located at the junction of the Azov and Black Seas. The city also continues to be one of the largest shipbuilding and metal foundry centers.

Attractions:

Tsarsky Kurgan;
Tiritaka;
Yeni-Kale fortress;
Merimekey;
Nymphaeum.

Interesting Facts:

Although the title of the oldest city in the world is difficult to assign to just one settlement, scientists were able to identify several leaders: Jericho, Byblos and Damascus.

Jericho currently occupies the leading position, but other cities deserve no less interest.

Article format: Vladimir the Great

Video about the oldest city in the world

The most ancient city in the World:

Memphis, Babylon, Thebes - they all once existed largest centers, but all that was left of them was their name. However, there are cities that have existed throughout human history, from the Stone Age to the present day.

Jericho (West Bank)

At the very foot of the Judean Mountains, opposite the confluence of the Jordan into the Dead Sea, is located the most ancient city on earth - Jericho. Traces of settlements dating back to the 10th-9th millennium BC were found here. e. It was a permanent site of the Pre-Pottery Neolithic A culture, whose representatives built the first Wall of Jericho. The Stone Age defensive structure was four meters high and two meters wide. Inside it was a powerful eight-meter tower, which was obviously used for ritual purposes. Its ruins have survived to this day.

The name Jericho (in Hebrew Yericho), according to one version, comes from the word meaning “smell” and “fragrance” - “reach”. According to another, from the word moon - “yareah”, which could have been revered by the founders of the city. We find the first written mention of it in the book of Joshua, which describes the fall of the walls of Jericho and the capture of the city by the Jews in 1550 BC. e. By that time, the city was already a powerful fortified fortress, whose system of seven walls was a real labyrinth. Not without reason - Jericho had something to protect. It was located at the crossroads of three important trade routes of the Middle East, right in the middle of a flourishing oasis with big amount fresh water and fertile soil. For the inhabitants of the desert, this is a real promised land.

Jericho was the first city to be captured by the Israelites. It was completely destroyed, and all the inhabitants were killed, with the exception of the harlot Rahab, who had previously sheltered the Jewish scouts, for which she was spared.

Today, Jericho, located in the West Bank of Jordan, is a disputed territory between Palestine and Israel that remains in an area of constant military conflict. Therefore, visiting the most ancient and rich in historical sights of the city is not recommended.

Damascus: “Eye of the Desert” (Syria)

Damascus, the current capital of Syria, is fighting for first place with Jericho. The earliest mention of it was found in the list of conquered cities of Pharaoh Thutmose III, who lived in 1479-1425 BC. e. In the first book of the Old Testament, Damascus is mentioned as a large and well-known center of trade.

In the 13th century, the historian Yaqut al-Humawi argued that the city was founded by Adam and Eve themselves, who, after being expelled from Eden, found refuge in the cave of blood (Magarat ad-Damm) on Mount Qasyoun on the outskirts of Damascus. The first murder in history, described in Old Testament– Cain killed his brother. According to legend, the self-name Damascus comes from the ancient Aramaic word “demshak”, which means “brother’s blood”. Another, more plausible version says that the name of the city goes back to the Aramaic word Darmeśeq, translated as “well-watered place.”

It is not known for certain who first founded the settlement near Mount Kasyun. But recent excavations in Tel Ramada, a suburb of Damascus, have shown that people settled the area around 6300 BC. e.

Byblos (Lebanon)

The third most ancient city is Byblos, known today as Jebeil. It is located on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, 32 km from Beirut, the current capital of Lebanon. It was once a large Phoenician city, founded in the 4th millennium BC, although the first settlements in this area date back to the late Stone Age - 7th millennium.

The ancient name of the city is associated with the legend of a certain Byblis, who was madly in love with her brother, Kavnos. She died of grief when her lover fled to escape sin, and her shed tears formed an inexhaustible source of water that watered the city. According to another version, byblos in Greece was the name for papyrus that was exported from the city.

Byblos was one of the largest ports of the ancient era. It was also known for the spread of the cult of Baal there, the formidable Sun god, who “demanded” self-torture and bloody sacrifices from his followers. The written language of ancient Byblos still remains one of the main mysteries Ancient world. Proto-Byblos writing, widespread in the second millennium BC, is still indecipherable; it is not similar to any of the known writing systems of the Ancient World.

Plovdiv (Bulgaria)

The oldest city in Europe today is considered to be not Rome or even Athens, but the Bulgarian city of Plovdiv, located in the southern part of the country between the Rhodope and Balkan mountains (the home of the legendary Orpheus) and the Upper Thracian Lowland. The first settlements on its territory date back to the 6th-4th millennia BC. e., although Plovdiv, or rather, then still Eumolpiada, reached its heyday under the peoples of the sea - the Thracians. In 342 BC. it was captured by Philip II of Macedon, the father of the famous Alexander, who named it Philippopolis in his honor. Subsequently, the city managed to be under Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman rule, which made it the second cultural center in Bulgaria after Sofia. In world history, Derbent became an unspoken “blockpost” between Europe and Asia. One of the most important sections of the Great Silk Road lay here. It is not surprising that it has always been a favorite object of conquest for its neighbors. The Roman Empire showed great interest in it - the main goal of the campaigns to the Caucasus of Lucullus and Pompey in 66-65 BC. it was Derbent. In the 5th century AD e. When the city belonged to the Sassanids, powerful fortifications were erected here to protect against nomads, including the Naryn-Kala fortress. From it, located at the foot of the mountain range, two walls descended to the sea, designed to protect the city and the trade route. It is from this time that the history of Derbent as a large city dates back.