Middle East: 3 of the oldest cities in the world

1 – Jbeil, Lebanon (5,000 BC)

 

Jbeil is believed to have been inhabited since about 5,000 BC. Located on the west coast of Lebanon, the city has been occupied by various empires over the years, including Egyptian, Assyrian, Roman and Arab. The city is known for its proximity to the Mediterranean Sea, which has played a historically important role for merchant-travelers.

Unesco has recognized Jbeil as a place of outstanding universal value. The city has many archaeological sites. It is one of the top tourist destinations to observe a rich architecture that mixes Ottoman and Phoenician styles.

 

2 – Erbil, Iraq (2,300 BC)

 

Capital of the Kurdish region of Iraq, researchers estimate the beginnings of the city of Erbil to be about 5,000 years old. An important crossroads city between Anatolia and the Levant, Erbil has been continuously disputed by the Babylonians, Persians, Romans, Arabs etc. The modern city that we know today has remained centered around its ancient citadel, dating back at least 4,000 years. The latter is on the Unesco World Heritage list. Moreover, the local authorities invest heavily in the development and renovation of its monuments and museums, such that Erbil is a cultural and historical city.

 

3 – Damascus, Syria (4,300 BC)

 

LThe name of the city of Damascus is first mentioned in the second millennium BC, when the Egyptian and Hittite empires were fighting over the Levantine region. However, scholars have found evidence of human settlement some 8,000 and 10,000 years ago in the outskirts of the city.

Damascus is of particular cultural and historical interest. Indeed, the birth of Islam and the establishment of the Caliphate of Muawiya, of the Umayyad dynasty, made Damascus a capital. The city was thus among the most important cities in the Middle East and the Islamic world.