10 Old Cities In The World

Getting old is not something that most people look forward too, but when it comes to cities it’s a different matter. Age adds to these oldest cities a lot of history, ancient monuments, and unique cultures (most of the time) that makes them intriguing places to visit.

10) Lisbon, Portugal

Lisbon, Portugal

Lisbon, Portugal’s hilly capital, is a coastal city known for its cafe culture and soulful Fado music. From imposing São Jorge Castle, the view encompasses the old city’s pastel-colored buildings, Tagus Estuary and the Ponte 25 de Abril suspension bridge. Nearby, the National Azulejo Museum displays 5 centuries of decorative ceramic tiles.

9) Luxor, Egypt

Luxor, Egypt

Luxor is a city on the east bank of the Nile River in Egypt. It's on the site of ancient Thebes, the pharaohs’ capital at the height of their power, during the 16th-11th centuries B.C.E. Today's city surrounds 2 huge, surviving temples.

8) Asyut, Egypt

Asyut, Egypt

Asyut is the capital of the modern Asyut Governorate in Egypt; the ancient city of the same name is situated nearby.

7) Xi’an, China

Xi’an, China

 Xi’an is a large city and capital of Shaanxi Province in central China. Once known as Chang’an (Eternal Peace), it marks the Silk Road’s eastern end and was home to the Zhou, Qin, Han and Tang dynasties' ruling houses.

6) Giza, Egypt

Giza, Egypt

Giza, is the third largest city in Egypt. It is located on the west bank of the Nile, some 20 km southwest of central Cairo. Along with Cairo Governorate, Shubra El-Kheima, Helwan, 6th October City and Obour, the five form Greater Cairo metropolis.

5) Konya, Turkey

Konya, Turkey

Konya is a city in the Central Anatolia Region of Turkey. It is the seventh most populous city in Turkey. As of 2014, Konya has a population of 1,174,536. Konya is an economically and industrially developed city. It is the capital of Konya Province.

4) Zurich, Switzerland

Zurich, Switzerland

The city of Zurich lies at the north end of Lake Zurich in northern Switzerland, a global center for banking and finance. The picturesque lanes of the central Altstadt (Old Town), on either side of the Limmat River, reflect its premedieval history.

3) Kirkuk, Iraq

Kirkuk, Iraq

Kirkuk, is a city in the north of Iraq, 236 kilometres north of, Baghdad, and 83 kilometres south of Erbil. It is the capital of Kirkuk Governorate.

2) Jerusalem, Israel

Jerusalem, Israel

Jerusalem, a city in central Israel west of the Dead Sea, has been a place of pilgrimage and worship for Christians, Jews and Muslims since the biblical era. The Old City retains significant religious sites, including the Temple Mount compound and Western Wall, sacred to Judaism, and the Dome of the Rock, a 7th-century Islamic shrine with a gold rotunda.

1) Gaziantep, Turkey

Gaziantep, Turkey

Gaziantep, previously and still informally called Antep, is a city in southeast Turkey and among the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. The city is located 185 kilometres east of Adana and 97 kilometres north of Aleppo, Syria.