In history, there were many beautiful cities, most of which were destroyed long ago. As soon as people left the caves, the first settlements began to appear. Archaeologists discovered that the oldest city is now more than 11 thousand years old, and the rest on the list are a little younger. However, there are cities that were founded before the common era and people even live in them. 

They fascinate tourists with their quaint ceremonies that have been preserved since ancient times, as well as their architecture. Each century left its mark on these cities. Now they are trying to make them more popular for recreation. You can even visit some of them.

Jericho, Palestine

This is the oldest city on the planet, as it is believed to have been founded 10,000 years ago. Due to the fact that Jericho is located at the crossroads of trade routes, in ancient times it was a center of trade. The inhabitants of the city traded salt from the Dead Sea, which was very popular due to its medicinal properties. At one time, Jericho became the first city conquered by Joshua's troops at the entrance to the promised land. There is still a saying among the Jewish people that “he who owns Jericho owns the whole land of Israel.”

Damascus, Syria

Damascus is considered the oldest capital in the world and one of the most picturesque Arab cities. According to legend, this is where Adam and Eve settled after being expelled from paradise. At different times, such civilizations as the Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, Muslims, Crusaders, Mongols, Turks, and French ruled here.

Byblos (now Jbeil), Lebanon

This city was located to the north of the capital of Lebanon, Beirut, and has been known since the 4th millennium BC. Today, not much remains of the ancient city, although the inhabitants of the city never left it. It is from the name of this city, which in the ancient world was the most important center of papyrus trade, that the word "bible" was born, because "Byblos" is translated from Greek as papyrus, and "bible" means book.

Aleppo, Syria

Many sources date the foundation of Aleppo between the 6th millennium BC and the 3rd millennium BC. For hundreds of years, Aleppo was one of the most important trade centers of the Middle East and a stubbornly contested territory that changed hands many times before the 16th century became part of the Ottoman Empire. After the fall of the Ottoman Sultanate in 1922, the city fell under the French mandate until Syria gained independence in 1944.

Susa, Iran

Susa is a mysterious city and one of the most exotic in the Middle East. Now it is quite small, but once it was one of the main centers of Persia. It was here that archaeologists found the famous laws of Hammurabi. Each king of Persia built his palace here, so in Susa, you can see many ruins of palaces from different periods, and learn how the construction of residences for the rulers of one of the most powerful states of the ancient world evolved.