List of oldest continually-inhabited cities

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This is a list of the twenty oldest, still surviving, towns and cities in the world - there are some points of contention here and care should be taken when using the list below. The cities in this list have been entered because either the archaeological record has shown, or documents have supported the claim that, the settlement was in existence at the time given. However, presence here should in no way indicate that there is total consensus over the date the city was founded - differences in opinion can result from different definitions of "city" (usually relating to the population size" as well as "continually-inhabited" (relating to changing population size; changes in location and changes in name). Additionally, where an approximate date has been given, the date was treated as the lower end of the estimate for the purposes of the table.

The definition of "continually-inhabited city" for the purposes of this list was that there must be evidence to show that the city had been constantly settled by a population of more than 250 for the entire time since the date shown. This is different from there simply being 'evidence of human occupation in the area' and that it may well be different from the numerous other definitions of the term 'city' that are in use. In spite of all this, several cities listed here (Varanasi, Damascus, Arbil, Byblos and Hebron) each claim to be 'the oldest city in the world'. An attempt has been made to discuss the validity of each of their claims alongside their stated position in the table.

Rank Name Country Approximate Time Founded Sources

1 Byblos Lebanon 5000 BCE [link]

2 Damascus Syria More than 3,000 BCE []

3 Medinat Al-Fayoum¹ (as Crocodilopolis or Arsinoe) Egypt 4,000 BCE Overy et al (1999:43); Aldred (1998:42,44)

4 Gaziantep² Turkey 3,650 BCE See notes

5 Hebron Israel 3,500 BCE [link]

6 Varanasi (Kasi) (Benaras) India More than 3,000 BCE []

7 Arbil Iraq Before 2,300 BCE [link]

8 Kirkuk (As 'Arrapha') Iraq 2,200-3,000 BCE either [link] or [link] for the earlier date

9 Adana Turkey c. 2,000 BCE

10 Hama (as Hamath) Syria Before 2,000 BCE

11 Jerusalem Israel 2,000 BCE

12 Luxor (as Thebes/Weset) Egypt c. 2,000 BCE

13 Jaffa Israel 1,800 BCE

14 Aleppo Syria 1,800 BCE

15 Kutaisi Georgia 1,700 BCE either [link] or [link]

16 Asyut Egypt Before 1,500 BCE

17 Gaza Palestinian Authority Before 1,500 BCE

18 Jericho (Present Site) Palestinian Authority 1,400 BCE [link]

19 Tyre Lebanon 1,300-2,700 BCE

20 Hamedan Iran 1,100 BCE

Notes

Note 1: See reference for presence of urban life among cattle herders at this date - also due to land fertility and constant water source, the same reference argues it unlikely that the site has been deserted since. Documentary evidence supporting continuous existence since c.2,000 BCE.
Note 2: This is disputed, although most modern scholars place the Classical Antiochia ad Taurum at Gaziantep, some maintain that it was in fact located at Aleppo. Furthermore, that the two cities occupy the same site is far from established fact (see http://www.allaboutturkey.com/gaziantep.htm]). Assuming this to be the case, the date of founding the present site would be [link] in the region of 1,000 BCE.

Sources

Aldred, Cyril (1998). The Egyptians. Thames and Hudson: London.
Overy et al (1999). The Times History of The World: New Edition. Times Books/Harper-Collins: London.

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Rank	Name	Country	Approximate Time Founded	Sources
1	Byblos	Lebanon	5000 BCE	[link]
2	Damascus	Syria	More than 3,000 BCE	[]
3	Medinat Al-Fayoum¹ (as Crocodilopolis or Arsinoe)	Egypt	4,000 BCE	Overy et al (1999:43); Aldred (1998:42,44)
4	Gaziantep²	Turkey	3,650 BCE	See notes
5	Hebron	Israel	3,500 BCE	[link]
6	Varanasi (Kasi) (Benaras)	India	More than 3,000 BCE	[]
7	Arbil	Iraq	Before 2,300 BCE	[link]
8	Kirkuk (As 'Arrapha')	Iraq	2,200-3,000 BCE	either [link] or [link] for the earlier date
9	Adana	Turkey	c. 2,000 BCE
10	Hama (as Hamath)	Syria	Before 2,000 BCE
11	Jerusalem	Israel	2,000 BCE
12	Luxor (as Thebes/Weset)	Egypt	c. 2,000 BCE
13	Jaffa	Israel	1,800 BCE
14	Aleppo	Syria	1,800 BCE
15	Kutaisi	Georgia	1,700 BCE	either [link] or [link]
16	Asyut	Egypt	Before 1,500 BCE
17	Gaza	Palestinian Authority	Before 1,500 BCE
18	Jericho (Present Site)	Palestinian Authority	1,400 BCE	[link]
19	Tyre	Lebanon	1,300-2,700 BCE
20	Hamedan	Iran	1,100 BCE