Venerable Facts About The Oldest Cities On Earth
“Cities aren’t like people; they live on and on, even though their reason for being where they are has gone downriver and out to sea”—John Updike
People have congregated in cities for thousands of years. Of the world’s ancient cities, some continue to house thousands or even millions of people, while others have been forgotten and have fallen into ruin.
Here are some facts about 42 of the oldest cities on earth.
Oldest Cities On Earth Facts
42. Thebes is Probably the World’s Oldest Continually Inhabited Major City (Egypt)
Not to be confused with its Greek namesake, Thebes, Egypt was a huge and important city in its own right. Now known as Luxor, people have lived there since 3200 BC, making it the oldest continuously inhabited major city in the world.
It’s home to Karnak, a massive and world famous temple complex that, in its time, was like the Vatican for ancient Egyptians.
41. Some Really Famous Heroes Were From the Other Thebes (Greece)
Thebes, Greece was relevant much later in history than its Egyptian counterpart, peaking in the 4th century BC. Its influence briefly rivaled the other two big Greek states, Athens and Sparta.
Thebes was also famous for being the birthplace of the mythical heroes Hercules and Oedipus.
40. Istanbul Was Constantinople Was Byzantium (Turkey)
The modern day city of Istanbul has a long and complicated history. It was originally founded in 657 BC by Greeks and called Byzantium.
Then, hundreds of years later, the Roman Emperor Constantine moved the capital of his empire there and it became the largest and most important city in Europe. After he died, the city was renamed Constantinople.
It wasn’t until the 20th century that the city came to be called Istanbul.
