The world is dotted with settlements that have witnessed the rise and fall of empires, yet they continue to pulse with everyday life. In this roundup of 10 ancient cities, we travel from West Africa to the Levant, uncovering the stories of places that were founded millennia ago and still boast thriving populations today.
10 Ife
The Yoruba regard Ife as the mythic cradle of humanity. Legend tells that two deities molded the first people from clay, with one becoming the inaugural Yoruba king. By the 11th century, Ife had risen to become a kingdom’s capital, and its artisans crafted the region’s celebrated terra‑cotta heads over the next two centuries.
Decimated during a late‑18th‑century conflict and later scarred by the slave‑trade era, modern Ife now hosts a major Nigerian university and the Historical Society of Nigeria. The Ooni, the spiritual head of the Yoruba, resides in a palace at the city’s heart. Today, more than 600,000 people call Ife home.
9 Balkh
Once known as Bactra, Balkh served as the Greek Bactria capital after Alexander the Great’s conquest. Subsequent rulers, including the Sasanian Empire, elevated it to the capital of Khorasan. Its reputation as a scholarly hub earned it the moniker “mother of cities,” and it is traditionally linked to the birth of Zoroastrianism.
Genghis Khan’s 13th‑century onslaught razed much of the settlement. The ruins lay dormant until the early 1400s, when a modest village re‑emerged. Today, only a few thousand residents remain, but remnants such as ancient Buddhist stupas and the city’s outer walls still stand.
8 Luoyang
One of China’s eight Great Ancient Capitals, Luoyang was founded around 1050 B.C. during the Zhou Dynasty. Over nine successive dynasties, it served as a capital at various times. A prolonged economic slump from an 8th‑century revolt persisted until the mid‑20th century, when Soviet assistance and rapid industrialization revived the city.
Key attractions include the White Horse Temple – dubbed the “cradle of Buddhism in China” – erected in the 1st century A.D. and the UNESCO‑listed Longmen Grottoes, a masterpiece of Buddhist cave art.
7 Patras
Archaeological evidence shows human presence in the Patras region as early as the 3rd millennium B.C., but the city itself coalesced around 1100 B.C. when three settlements merged under the Achaean hero Patreus. Initially modest, Patras later helped found the second Achaean League, a coalition of Greek poleis.
Its strategic coastal location turned Patras into a bustling trade hub that persists to this day. Few ancient structures survive; the oldest is the Roman Odeum, a modest theater dating to the early 2nd century A.D. A prehistoric acropolis, the Wall of Dymaeans, dates to the 14th century B.C. and is said to have been erected by Heracles.
6 Kutaisi
One of Georgia’s oldest and largest cities, Kutaisi served as the capital of several ancient realms, notably Colchis from the 6th to the 1st century B.C. This kingdom famously hosted Jason and the Argonauts on their quest for the Golden Fleece. Over the centuries, Kutaisi endured invasions by Mongols, Ottomans, and others.
The 12th‑century reign of King David IV elevated Kutaisi to the capital of a united Georgia, sparking a construction boom. The era produced the Gelati Monastery, a celebrated example of medieval Georgian architecture and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, remarkably well preserved today.
5 Tyre
Tyre, an ancient Phoenician port, boasts a rich tapestry of myth and history. Its strategic position made it a prosperous hub, though it endured a 13‑year siege by Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar, which ultimately failed. Alexander the Great later captured Tyre, razing most structures to the ground.
The city is credited with pioneering purple dye production, giving rise to the Greek term “Phoinikes” (purple people) and the name Phoenician. Once an island, Alexander built a causeway linking Tyre to the mainland. Modern‑day Sour, Lebanon, still features significant Roman remnants, including a massive 2nd‑century hippodrome, among the world’s largest.
4 Sidon
Deriving its name from the Greek word for “fishery,” Sidon was a prominent Phoenician port, celebrated for its fishing, trade, and glass‑making—praise that even Homer recorded. Like its sister city Tyre, Sidon fell to Alexander the Great but avoided total destruction by surrendering peacefully.
Over the centuries, Sidon passed through the hands of multiple powers, flourishing under Ottoman rule despite periodic devastation and rebuilding. Among its oldest surviving structures is the Temple of Eshmun, dedicated to the Phoenician god of healing, dating back to the 7th century B.C.
3 Argos
Often hailed as Europe’s oldest city, Argos originated as a Greek polis. Its fertile Plain of Argos supported abundant resources, propelling the city to prominence during the Mycenaean era at the close of the 2nd millennium B.C. Until Sparta’s ascent, Argos dominated the region.
Unlike many Greek counterparts, Argos thrived under Roman and Byzantine rule, evident in substantial civic projects of those periods. Mythologically, it is linked to heroes such as Perseus, Diomedes, and Agamemnon. Today, the modern city overlays much of the ancient site, with scant early architecture remaining. The Heraion of Argos, a temple to the goddess Hera, likely dates to the 7th century B.C., making it the area’s oldest extant structure.
2 Byblos
Byblos stands as the oldest surviving Phoenician city, a cradle of scientific and technological progress. Scholars attribute the invention of the Phoenician alphabet to this locale, and its name stems from the Greek word for “paper,” reflecting a major export. The city suffered a devastating fire at the close of the 3rd millennium B.C. when Amorites invaded, yet remnants of that era persist.
Initially an Egyptian protectorate, Byblos traded timber and other goods for protection. By the 11th century B.C., it achieved independence as a Phoenician city‑state. Though it later ceded primacy to Tyre and declined after the Crusades, today’s Jbail, Lebanon, incorporates much of Byblos’s ruins, which are designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
1 Jericho
Often regarded as humanity’s oldest continuous settlement—and the lowest city by altitude—Jericho lies in the West Bank just north of the Dead Sea. A reliable spring nurtured fertile soils, attracting early hunter‑gatherers who began domesticating animals. Roughly 2,000 years after its informal city status, Jericho erected its first walls, marking the earliest known urban fortifications.
Known in antiquity as Tell es‑Sultan, Jericho flourished for centuries before being annihilated by nomadic tribes at the close of the 2nd millennium B.C., only to be scorched again a few hundred years later. Today, the modern city encompasses portions of the ancient mound and surrounding lands, and it remains a focal point for numerous biblical narratives.
These ten remarkable locales illustrate how ancient foundations can evolve into vibrant, living communities, reminding us that history is not merely a relic of the past but a foundation for present‑day life.