Cities with thousands of years of history can surprise you with much more than just beautiful architecture and unique artifacts. They bear the imprints of previous eras and civilizations, and they are a reflection of both positive and negative events of mankind. These cities are full amazing stories and legends and are the biggest draws for experienced explorers. Let's look at cities that are almost as old as the hills they were built on.

10. Damascus, Syria

The capital of Syria, Damascus, is also the second largest city in the country with a population of approximately 2.5 million. The city's history dates back to 10,000 - 8,000 BC, although the exact time is still debated. Damascus is recognized as one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. The city, located between Africa and Asia, has an advantageous geographical location at the crossroads of East and West.

Since time immemorial, Damascus has been a significant cultural, commercial and administrative center. It was a gathering place for local and foreign merchants and artisans. The city was shaped by several civilizations that created it: Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine and Islamic. The old city-fortress impresses with its ancient architecture, narrow streets, green courtyards and white houses. However, the age-old architecture is a bit of a contrast to the influx of tourists who come from all over the world to see this breathtaking place.

9. Athens, Greece


The cradle of Western civilization, Athens is the capital of Greece with a population of approximately three million. It has been inhabited for over 7000 years. Appearance The city is marked by Ottoman, Byzantine and Roman civilizations. This is the birthplace of prominent philosophers, writers, playwrights, artists and the classical style that they gave rise to.

Modern Athens is a cosmopolitan city. It is the cultural, media, educational, political and industrial center of Greece. The historical center of the city is located in the Acropolis ("high city"), on a huge hill with the remains of ancient buildings and the Parthenon. Since Athens is considered a huge archaeological research center, the city is full of historical museums, including the National Archaeological Museum, the Byzantine and Christian Museum, and the New Acropolis Museum.

When visiting Athens, you should not miss the opportunity to visit the Port of Piraeus, which has been the most important port in the Mediterranean for centuries due to its geostrategic location.

8. Byblos, Lebanon


Byblos is another cradle of many ancient civilizations. It is one of the oldest cities in Phoenicia and has been continuously inhabited for 5000 years, although the first signs of settlement date back to earlier periods. Byblos is directly related to the development of the Phoenician alphabet, which is still used today. What's interesting is that English word The bible is derived from the name of the city, as Byblos was an important port through which papyrus was imported.

Byblos is now a popular tourist destination due to its curiosity, including ancient citadels and temples that offer spectacular views of the Mediterranean, ancient ruins and the port. Over the years, it has become a modern city, but the imprint of antiquity is visible to the naked eye. It has an impressive combination of tradition and sophistication and still lives on with its ancient heart.

7. Jerusalem, Israel


Jerusalem is one of the most visited cities in the Middle East and also the most important religious destination in the world. As you know, Jerusalem is considered a holy place for Jews, Christians and Muslims. According to the Bible, Jerusalem was founded by David as the capital of the United Kingdom of Israel. Jerusalem currently has 800,000 inhabitants, 60 per cent of whom are of the Jewish faith.

Jerusalem has experienced many tragic events over the years, including numerous attacks, sieges and destruction. The Old City was founded four thousand years ago. It is divided into four quadrants, which are known today as the Christian Quarter, the Muslim Quarter, the Armenian Quarter and the Jewish Quarter.

In 1981, the Old Town was included in the list of objects world heritage under threat. Modernization spread far beyond the ancient center. Jerusalem has an incredible symbolic meaning for the Jewish people from all over the world, as it symbolizes their desire to return home.

6. Varanasi, India


India is the world famous home of ancient civilizations, religions and spirituality. The holy city of India, Varanasi, is located on the banks of the Ganges River, which, according to the Hindus, was founded by Shiva. The history of the city dates back to the 12th century BC.

Varanasi, also known as Benares, was a destination for pilgrims and wanderers. Mark Twain once said the following about this city: “Benares is older than history, older than tradition, and even older than legend. He looks twice as old as all of them put together." Varanasi is an outstanding cultural and religious center with many famous poets, writers and musicians residing in the city.

Varanasi had great industrial potential due to its high quality textiles, perfumes, sculptures and ivory trade. It is currently a center for arts and crafts. Here you can find almost everything you could imagine, including brocade silk, carpet weaving, toys, glass and ivory, perfumes, as well as various accessories and jewelry. For some people, Varanasi is a true paradise.

5. Cholula, Mexico


Over 2500 years ago, the city of Cholula developed from numerous scattered villages. It has been the seat of various Latin American cultures such as the Olmecs, Toltecs and Aztecs. The name of the city means "place of flight" in Nahuatl and was formerly known as Acholollan. When the city was captured by the Spaniards, it began to flourish. Cortes once called Cholula "the most beautiful city outside of Spain".

At present, it is a small colonial city with a population of 60,000 people. The most notable landmark of the city is the Great Pyramid of Cholula with a sanctuary at the top. It is considered the largest monument ever built by humans. It consists of many tunnels and caves, however, only a small part of these tunnels have been converted into passages and open to the public.

4. Jericho, Palestine


Currently, Jericho is a small city with a population of about 20,000 people. In the Hebrew Bible, it is called the City of Palm Trees. Archaeological excavations have witnessed evidence of human settlement in this city almost 11,000 years ago, with at least 20 settlements.

Jericho is located in the center of Palestine, making it an ideal location for routes and trade. In addition, the natural beauty and resources of Jericho led to numerous invasions of ancient Palestine. In the first century, the city was destroyed by the Romans, rebuilt by the Byzantines and destroyed again before being abandoned over the centuries. In the 20th century, the territory of Jericho was occupied by Jordan and Israel before becoming part of Palestine in 1994. The most famous sights of Jericho are Tell es-Sultan (Tell es-Sultan), Hisham Palace, as well as the mosaic floor of the Peace to Israel Synagogue.

3. Aleppo, Syria


The city of Aleppo is the largest in Syria, with over two million people living there. Aleppo has an incredibly favorable geographical location, being in the center of the Great Silk Road, which connected Asia and the Mediterranean. The city remained inhabited for over 8000 years, however archaeological excavations helped uncover evidence of human habitation in the area that is nearly 13,000 years old. Aleppo has been under the control of the Romans, Byzantines, Ottomans for various eras and has ended up being a mixture of architectural styles.

The old city is filled with hotels, schools, hammams, and churches from the 13th and 14th centuries. Aleppo also stands out for its narrow streets and large estates, although the modern part of it is distinguished by wide roads and large squares. Interestingly, Aleppo is made up of cell-like segments that are socially and economically independent. Over the years, the city was subjected to invasions and was in instability, so the inhabitants were forced to fortify the city. Aleppo is often referred to as the "soul of Syria".

2. Plovdiv, Bulgaria


The history of Plovdiv dates back to 4000 BC, we learned about it thanks to the Neolithic excavations. Plovdiv has been ruled by many empires over the centuries, although it was originally a Thracian city. Later it was conquered by the Romans. In the Middle Ages, Plovdiv was a tempting territory for the Bulgarian, Byzantine and Ottoman empires. In 1885 the city became part of Bulgaria and is now the second largest city in the country, as well as a significant economic, educational and cultural centre.

The old town is definitely worth seeing. It turned out to be crowded with restaurants, workshops and museums that were previously famous houses. Archaeological sites, museums, churches and temples are also must-see places in Plovdiv.

1. Luoyang, China


While most of the old cities are located in the Mediterranean, Luoyang stands out as the oldest continuously inhabited city in Asia. It is included in the list of the Seven Great Ancient Capitals of China and is also considered the geographical center of China and the cradle of Chinese culture and history. No other city in China has survived as many dynasties and emperors as Luoyang, which has been inhabited for over 4,000 years and now boasts a population of almost 7 million.

With its long and exciting history, Luoyang has become a spectacular destination for tourists. The Longmen Grottoes and numerous historical Buddhist temples are the real attractions of the city. In addition, the famous Temple of the White Horse (Baimasi) is also located here - the first temple erected in China.

These cities are the 20 oldest continuously inhabited places on Earth. Visiting them (if, of course, it is even possible) is like taking a trip back in time.

Varanasi, India

When did the first settlers settle here? 1000 BC uh. Located on the western bank of the Ganges, Varanasi, also known as Benares, is a holy city for both Hindus and Buddhists. According to legend, it was founded by the Hindu god Shiva 5,000 years ago, although modern scholars believe that the city is only about 3,000 years old. “Benares is older than history, older than tradition, even older than legend, and looks twice as old as all of them put together.” – Mark Twain

Cadiz, Spain

When did the first settlers settle here? 1100 BC uh. Cadiz, standing on a narrow spit of land jutting out into the Atlantic Ocean, has been home to the Spanish fleet since the 18th century. It was founded by the Phoenicians as a small trading post, and in 500 BC. e. passed to the Carthaginians, becoming the base for the conquest of Iberia by Hannibal. Then the Romans ruled the city, after them the Moors, and in the era of great geographical discoveries, he experienced a revival. "Noblely Cape St. Vincent in the northwest faded, the sunset in blood-red glory stacked in the fragrant waters of Cadiz" - Robert Browning, English poet and playwright.

Thebes, Greece

The city of Thebes, one of the main competitors of ancient Athens, was the center of the Boeotian League and even supported Xerxes during the Persian invasion in 480 BC. e. Archaeological excavations have shown that the Mycenaean settlement existed here even longer. Today Thebes is just a small trading town. “Sometimes Tragedy in tears tells me about the affairs of the Children of Pelops, and about Thebes, And about the unfortunate Trojans” - John Milton (English poet).

Larnaca, Cyprus

When did the first settlers settle here? 1400 BC uh Founded by the Phoenicians under the name of Kition, Larnaca is well known for its beautiful palm-fringed promenade. Tourists are attracted by archaeological sites and numerous beaches. “The history of this city is too rich. It can cause a kind of mental indigestion.” – Robert Byron (British travel writer)

Athens, Greece

When did the first settlers settle here? 1400 BC uh Athens is the cradle of Western civilization and the birthplace of democracy, and ancient history the city is still visible in it everywhere. It is full of Greek, Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman monuments and remains a very popular tourist destination. "What great dangers are before me in the good name of Athens" - Alexander the Great.

Balkh, Afghanistan

When did the first settlers settle here? 1500 BC e. Balkh, known to the ancient Greeks as Bactria, is located in northern Afghanistan. The Arabs call it the "Mother of Cities". The city reached its peak of prosperity between 2500 and 1900 BC. e., even before the rise of the Persian and Median empires. Modern Balkh is the center of the region's cotton industry. Is it possible to get there? Special services do not recommend. “When we were hunting in Africa, we lost our corkscrew and for several days we lived on water and food only” - William Claude Fields (American actor and writer).

Kirkuk, Iraq

When did the first settlers settle here? 2200 BC uh. Located about 240 km north of Baghdad, Kirkuk stands on the site of the ancient Assyrian capital Arrapha. Its strategic importance was recognized by Babylon and Media, which controlled the city at various points in its history. The ruins of the 5,000-year-old citadel are still visible here, and the city itself now serves as the headquarters of Iraq's oil industry. Is it possible to get there? Special services do not recommend.

Erbil, Iraq

When did the first settlers settle here? 2300 BC uh. To the north of Kirkuk lies Erbil, which at various times was ruled by the Assyrians, Persians, Sassanids, Arabs and Ottomans. It was an important stop on the Silk Road, and the ancient citadel, which rises 26 meters above the ground, still defines its landscape. Is it possible to get there? Special services do not recommend.

Tire, Lebanon

When did the first settlers settle here? 2750 BC uh. The legendary birthplace of Europa and Dido, Tire was founded around 2750 BC. e. It was conquered by Alexander the Great in 332 BC. e., and in 64 BC. e. became a Roman province. Today, the city lives mainly on tourism: the Roman Hippodrome in Tire is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. "Tyre, which distributed crowns, whose merchants were princes" - Bible.

Jerusalem, Middle East

When did the first settlers settle here? 2800 BC uh. spiritual center of the Jewish people and the third holy city of Islam, Jerusalem is home to several important shrines, including the Dome of the Rock, the Wailing Wall, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher and the Al-Aqsa Mosque. During its history, the city was besieged 23 times, attacked 52 times, captured 44 times and completely destroyed twice. “The view of Jerusalem is the history of the world, even more, it is the history of earth and sky” - Benjamin Disraeli (1st Earl of Beaconsfield, former Prime Minister of Great Britain).

Beirut, Lebanon

When did the first settlers settle here? 3000 BC uh. The history of Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, as well as its cultural, administrative and economic center, has 5,000 years. Excavations in the city have unearthed remains of Phoenician, Hellenistic, Roman, Arab and Ottoman cultures, and its name is mentioned in letters to the pharaoh of Egypt as early as the 14th century BC. e. After graduation civil war in Lebanon, it has become a lively, modern and attractive city for tourists. “For the diligent student of foreign affairs, Beirut is a phenomenon, perhaps tempting, but completely, completely impossible” - Ian Morris (Welsh historian and travel writer).

Gaziantep, Türkiye

When did the first settlers settle here? 3650 BC uh. Gaziantep, a city in southern Turkey, near the border with Syria, has been known since the time of the Hittites. In the center of the city is the citadel of Ravanda, restored by the Byzantines in the 6th century, and excavations have unearthed Roman mosaics here. Is it possible to get there? Special services do not recommend. "They have no past, they are not people of history, they exist only in the present" - Samuel Taylor Coleridge (English poet and philosopher).

Plovdiv, Bulgaria

The second largest city in Bulgaria, Plovdiv was originally a Thracian settlement and later one of the important cities of the Roman Empire. Then it fell into the hands of Byzantium, passed to the Ottoman Empire, and finally became part of Bulgaria. It's a big one Cultural Center, where there are many ancient ruins, including the remains of a Roman amphitheater and aqueduct and Ottoman baths. “This is the greatest and most beautiful of all cities. Its beauty shines from afar.” – Lucian (Roman writer)

Sidon, Lebanon

When did the first settlers settle here? 4000 BC e. About 40 km south of Beirut is Sidon, one of the most important Phoenician cities - and perhaps the oldest. It was the starting point from which the vast Mediterranean empire of the Phoenicians grew. Both Jesus and the apostle Paul are said to have visited Sidon, as did Alexander the Great, who captured the city in 333 BC. e. Is it possible to get there? Special services do not recommend. "Few people who are unaccustomed to the local climate manage to avoid a certain kind of rash" - Charles Merion (French artist).

El Fayoum, Egypt

When did the first settlers settle here? 4000 BC uh. El Fayoum, located southwest of Cairo, occupies part of Crocodilopolis, an ancient Egyptian city where the sacred crocodile Sebek was worshipped. Modern El Fayoum consists of several large bazaars, mosques and baths, and nearby are the oldest pyramids. Is it possible to get there? Special services do not recommend. "Egypt is the gift of the river" - Herodotus (Greek historian).

Susa, Iran

When did the first settlers settle here? 4200 BC uh. Susa was the capital of the Elamite empire. Later, the city was captured by the Assyrians, and then by the Persian dynasty of the Achaemenids under the control of Cyrus the Great. Aeschylus's tragedy The Persians, the oldest play in the history of the theatre, takes place here. Now here is the city of Shush with a population of about 65 thousand people. "Persia, a country surrounded by mountains, open to the sea, a country in the middle of the world" - Francis Bacon (1st Viscount St. Albany, English philosopher and author).

Damascus, Syria

Damascus, which some sources call the oldest city in the world, may have been inhabited as early as 10,000 BC, although this is still a controversial point of view. He became important locality under the dominion of the Aramaeans, who built a network of canals that still serves as the basis of the city's water supply networks. Damascus was one of the great conquests of Alexander the Great, after which he was ruled by the Romans, Arabs and the Ottoman Empire. The city is rich in historical sights, and was a popular tourist destination until the recent unrest. Is it possible to get there? Special services do not recommend. “Damascus is a symbol. You could say it's a bunch of characters. This is a symbol of the constancy of physical conditions that have been preserved throughout history; the constancy of the geographical limits of human settlement, government and war" - Hilaire Belloc (Anglo-French writer and historian).

Aleppo, Syria

When did the first settlers settle here? 4300 BC uh. Most populated city Syria, with a population of about 4.4 million, was founded under the name of Aleppo around 4300 BC. e. The modern city stands in exactly the same place as the ancient one, so it has been little studied by archaeologists. Until about 800 BC. e. the city was under the rule of the Hittites, and then passed through the hands of the Assyrians, Greeks and Persians. The city was occupied by the Romans, Byzantines and Arabs, besieged by the crusaders, it was captured by the Mongols and Turks. Is it possible to get there? Special services do not recommend.

Byblos, Lebanon

When did the first settlers settle here? 5000 BC uh. Founded by the Phoenicians as Gebal, Byblos got its name from the Greeks, who imported papyrus from the city. The word Bible comes from the Greek name for the city. key tourist attractions include ancient Phoenician temples, the fortress and church of John the Baptist built by the Crusaders in the 12th century, and the old medieval city wall. Among the more modern spectacles - international festival Byblos, where bands such as Keane and Jethro Tull perform.

Jericho, Palestine

When did the first settlers settle here? 9000 BC uh. According to our sources, it is the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world. Archaeologists have discovered the remains of 20 settlements in Jericho, the oldest of which is 11 thousand years old. The city, where about 20 thousand people live today, is located near the Jordan River in the West Bank. Is it possible to get there? Special services do not recommend.

These cities are the 20 oldest continuously inhabited places on earth. Visiting them (if, of course, it is even possible) is like taking a trip back in time.

20. Varanasi, India

1 /5

When did the first settlers settle here? 1000 BC e.

Located on the western bank of the Ganges, Varanasi, also known as Benares, is a holy city for both Hindus and Buddhists. According to legend, it was founded by the Hindu god Shiva 5,000 years ago, although modern scholars believe that the city is only about 3,000 years old.

"Benares is older than history, older than tradition, even older than legend, and looks twice as old as all of them put together" - Mark Twain.

19. Cadiz, Spain

1 /5

When did the first settlers settle here? 1100 BC e.

Cadiz, standing on a narrow spit of land jutting out into the Atlantic Ocean, has been home to the Spanish fleet since the 18th century. It was founded by the Phoenicians as a small trading post, and in 500 BC. e. passed to the Carthaginians, becoming the base for the conquest of Iberia by Hannibal. Then the city was ruled by the Romans, after them by the Moors, and in the era of great geographical discoveries, he experienced a revival.

"Noblely Cape St. Vincent in the northwest faded, the sunset in blood-red glory stacked in the fragrant waters of Cadiz" - Robert Browning, English poet and playwright.

16. Thebes, Greece

1 /5

The city of Thebes, one of the main competitors of ancient Athens, was the center of the Boeotian League and even supported Xerxes during the Persian invasion in 480 BC. e. Archaeological excavations have shown that the Mycenaean settlement existed here even longer. Today Thebes is just a small trading town.

"Sometimes tragedy in tears

Tells me about business

Children of Pelops, and about Thebes,

And about the unfortunate Trojans ”- John Milton (English poet).

16. Larnaca, Cyprus

1 /5

When did the first settlers settle here? 1400 BC e.

Founded by the Phoenicians under the name of Kition, Larnaca is well known for its beautiful palm-fringed promenade. Tourists are attracted by archaeological sites and numerous beaches.

“The history of this city is too rich. It can cause a kind of mental indigestion.” – Robert Byron (British travel writer)

16. Athens, Greece

1 /5

When did the first settlers settle here? 1400 BC e.

Athens is the cradle of Western civilization and the birthplace of democracy, and the ancient history of the city is still visible throughout it. It is full of Greek, Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman monuments and remains a very popular tourist destination.

"What great dangers are before me in the good name of Athens" - Alexander the Great.

15. Balkh, Afghanistan

1 /5 AP Photo/Mustafa Najafizada

When did the first settlers settle here? 1500 BC e.

Balkh, known to the ancient Greeks as Bactria, is located in northern Afghanistan. The Arabs call it the "Mother of Cities". The city reached its peak of prosperity between 2500 and 1900 BC. e., even before the rise of the Persian and Median empires. Modern Balkh is the center of the region's cotton industry. Is it possible to get there? Special services do not recommend.

“When we were hunting in Africa, we lost our corkscrew and for several days lived only on water and food” - William Claude Fields (American actor and writer).

14. Kirkuk, Iraq

1 /5 Ako Rasheed/Reuters

When did the first settlers settle here? 2200 BC e.

Located about 240 km north of Baghdad, Kirkuk stands on the site of the ancient Assyrian capital Arrapha. Its strategic importance was recognized by Babylon and Media, which controlled the city at various points in its history. The ruins of the 5,000-year-old citadel are still visible here, and the city itself now serves as the headquarters of Iraq's oil industry. Is it possible to get there? Special services do not recommend.

13. Erbil, Iraq

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When did the first settlers settle here? 2300 BC e.

To the north of Kirkuk lies Erbil, which at various times was ruled by the Assyrians, Persians, Sassanids, Arabs and Ottomans. It was an important stop on the Silk Road, and the ancient citadel, which rises 26 meters above the ground, still defines its landscape. Is it possible to get there? Special services do not recommend.

12. Tire, Lebanon

1 /5

When did the first settlers settle here? 2750 BC e.

The legendary birthplace of Europa and Dido, Tire was founded around 2750 BC. e. It was conquered by Alexander the Great in 332 BC. e., and in 64 BC. e. became a Roman province. Today, the city lives mainly on tourism: the Roman Hippodrome in Tire is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

"Tyre, which distributed crowns, whose merchants were princes" - Bible.

11. Jerusalem, Middle East

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When did the first settlers settle here? 2800 BC e.

The spiritual center of the Jewish people and the third holy city of Islam, Jerusalem is home to several important shrines, including the Dome of the Rock, the Wailing Wall, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher and the Al-Aqsa Mosque. During its history, the city was besieged 23 times, attacked 52 times, captured 44 times and completely destroyed twice.

“The view of Jerusalem is the history of the world, even more, it is the history of earth and sky” - Benjamin Disraeli (first Earl of Beaconsfield, former Prime Minister of Great Britain).

10. Beirut, Lebanon

1 /5

When did the first settlers settle here? 3000 BC e.

The history of Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, as well as its cultural, administrative and economic center, has 5,000 years. Excavations in the city have unearthed remains of Phoenician, Hellenistic, Roman, Arab and Ottoman cultures, and its name is mentioned in letters to the pharaoh of Egypt as early as the 14th century BC. e. Since the end of the Lebanese Civil War, it has become a lively, modern and attractive city for tourists.

“For the diligent student of foreign affairs, Beirut is a phenomenon, perhaps tempting, but completely, completely impossible” - Ian Morris (Welsh historian and travel writer).

9. Gaziantep, Türkiye

1 /5

When did the first settlers settle here? 3650 BC e.

Gaziantep, a city in southern Turkey, near the border with Syria, has been known since the time of the Hittites. In the center of the city is the citadel of Ravanda, restored by the Byzantines in the 6th century, and excavations have unearthed Roman mosaics here. Is it possible to get there? Special services do not recommend.

"They have no past, they are not people of history, they exist only in the present" - Samuel Taylor Coleridge (English poet and philosopher).

8. Plovdiv, Bulgaria

1 /5

The second largest city in Bulgaria, Plovdiv was originally a Thracian settlement and later one of the important cities of the Roman Empire. Then it fell into the hands of Byzantium, passed to the Ottoman Empire, and finally became part of Bulgaria. It is a major cultural center with many ancient ruins, including the remains of a Roman amphitheater and aqueduct and Ottoman baths.

“This is the greatest and most beautiful of all cities. Its beauty shines from afar" - Lucian (Roman writer).

7. Sidon, Lebanon

1 /5

When did the first settlers settle here? 4000 BC e.

About 40 km south of Beirut is Sidon, one of the most important Phoenician cities - and perhaps the oldest. It was the starting point from which the vast Mediterranean empire of the Phoenicians grew. They say that both Jesus and the apostle Paul visited Sidon - as did Alexander the Great, who captured the city in 333 BC. e. Is it possible to get there? Special services do not recommend.

“Few of those who are unaccustomed to the local climate manage to avoid a certain kind of rash” - Charles Merion (French artist).

6. El Fayoum, Egypt

1 /5 Tarek Mostafa/Reuters

When did the first settlers settle here? 4000 BC e.

El Fayoum, located southwest of Cairo, occupies part of Crocodilopolis, an ancient Egyptian city where the sacred crocodile Sebek was worshiped. Modern El Fayoum consists of several large bazaars, mosques and baths, and nearby are the oldest pyramids. Is it possible to get there? Special services do not recommend.

"Egypt is a gift from the river" - Herodotus (Greek historian).

5. Susa, Iran

1 /5

When did the first settlers settle here? 4200 BC e.

Susa was the capital of the Elamite empire. Later, the city was captured by the Assyrians, and then by the Persian dynasty of the Achaemenids under the control of Cyrus the Great. Aeschylus's tragedy The Persians, the oldest play in the history of the theatre, takes place here. Now here is the city of Shush with a population of about 65 thousand people.

"Persia, a country surrounded by mountains, open to the sea, a country in the middle of the world" - Francis Bacon (first Viscount of St. Albany, English philosopher and author).

4. Damascus, Syria

1 /5

When did the first settlers settle here? 4300 BC e.

Damascus, which some sources call the oldest city in the world, may have been inhabited as early as 10,000 BC, although this is still a controversial point of view. It became an important settlement under the dominion of the Aramaeans, who built a canal network that still forms the basis of the city's water supply networks. Damascus was one of the great conquests of Alexander the Great, after which he was ruled by the Romans, Arabs and the Ottoman Empire. The city is rich in historical sights, and was a popular tourist destination until the recent unrest. Is it possible to get there? Special services do not recommend.

“Damascus is a symbol. You could say it's a bunch of characters. This is a symbol of the constancy of physical conditions that have been preserved throughout history; the constancy of the geographical limits of human settlement, government and war" - Hilaire Belloc (Anglo-French writer and historian).
Greeks Greeks who imported papyrus from the city. The word Bible comes from the Greek name for the city. key tourist attractions include ancient Phoenician temples, the fortress and church of John the Baptist built by the Crusaders in the 12th century, and the old medieval city wall. More contemporary spectacles include the Byblos International Festival, where bands such as Keane and Jethro Tull perform.

1. Jericho, Palestine

1 /5 Pilgrimage of Christians to the Jordan River on the Feast of Epiphany. Nir Elias/Reuters

When did the first settlers settle here? 9000 BC e.

According to our sources, it is the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world. Archaeologists have discovered the remains of 20 settlements in Jericho, the oldest of which is 11 thousand years old. The city, where about 20 thousand people live today, is located near the Jordan River in the West Bank. Is it possible to get there? Special services do not recommend.

Here is such a simple question. What city is the oldest? Not easy the very first city that appeared on our planet, but with a city that, from the moment of its foundation, was constantly inhabited.

Most often, the most ancient city, safely existing to this day, is the Palestinian town of Jericho, which appeared in the Copper Age (9000 BC).

After the exodus from Egypt and the death of Moses, the Israelites were led by Joshua. According to the will of Yahweh, he led them to conquer Canaan. For some reason, the first city on his way turned out to be Jericho (the question has not been clarified to this day): he did not at all lie either on the path from Egypt or on the path from the desert. From time immemorial, the fortress was considered impregnable, so Jesus sent scouts. Obviously, the scouts confirmed the worst fears of the Israelites regarding the power of the walls of Jericho, for the siege tactics chosen by Jesus the commander have no analogues in world history.

After celebrating the Passover, Jesus forced the entire male population of Israel to undergo a rite of circumcision that had not been practiced since the Exodus. After that, the Israelites walked at a safe distance around the walls of Jericho for six days. The procession was led by warriors, men followed them and doomedly blew pipes and pipes, followed by the priests carrying the ark, and closing this procession were old men, women and children. Only 4 million people, everyone was ominously silent, only the howling and whistling of the pipes resounded the air. The besieged observed with great surprise such a strange method of siege, suspecting the magical meaning of what was happening, but did not surrender to the mercy of God's chosen people.

On the seventh day, Joshua (by the way, in violation of the covenant to rest on the seventh day) decided to storm. The Israelites circled the walls six times in deathly silence. And on the seventh lap they screamed together and loudly. The walls could not withstand the screams and screams - and collapsed. Probably, along with them, the Canaanites also fainted ... The Israelites broke into the city and killed every single inhabitant, and even animals. Only the prostitute Rahab was spared, who let me spend the night Israeli scouts. The city itself was burned to the ground...

Much effort was expended to find Jericho of Canaan. A lot of energy was expended by researchers in search of Jericho of Israel. The peculiarity of the search was that science tried to reconcile the Bible with history: most archaeologists of the past were Christians. They were looking for confirmation Old Testament in Egypt and Syria, Babylon and Palestine. From the search for the pharaoh, during which the exodus from Egypt took place, arose whole problem, unsolvable for centuries. That is why it was so important to find Jericho - if it existed, it should have stood in its original place, on the Jordan ... True, they had no idea - which one: Canaanite or Israeli Jericho? Neither was found.

Joshua cursed the Canaanite Jericho (Bk. I.N., VI, 25). In the middle of the 19th century, Tobler and Robinson suggested the approximate place where it should have been, this accursed Jericho. Having chosen a hill in the middle of the plain, not far from the Jordan, they began excavations on it and found nothing. In 1868, Warren also dug on the hill, and nothing was found either. In 1894, Blythe drew the attention of scientists to the same hill, believing that Jericho was still hiding under it. And the German archaeologist Sellin in 1899 studied the surface of the hill and discovered several shards of Canaanite dishes. He came to the conclusion that his predecessors were still right: most likely, an ancient city is hidden under the layers. Moreover, a village called Eriha has been preserved here ... And the Jordan is not far away.

In 1904, the Germans Thirsch and Geliper visited here and collected new data that indicated the correctness of the conclusions of everyone who tried to find Jericho in the vicinity of Erichi. But the honor of the discoverer still belongs to Sellin. In 1907, Sellin obtained materials that confirmed everything that archeology dreamed of: he discovered houses and part of the city wall with a tower (five rows of masonry and adobe masonry 3 meters high). Finally, in 1908, more serious excavations were organized by the East Society of Germany, led by Sellin, Langen-Egger and Watzinger. In 1909 Nöldeke and Schulze joined them.

The hill, in plan resembling an ellipse, stretched from the north-northeast to the south-southwest, the city covered an area of ​​235,000 square meters. Archaeologists unearthed completely (in the north) the width of the city wall, equal to 3 meters, opened the second city wall 1.5 meters wide. Another part of the wall was discovered on the same northern slope of the hill with a stone plinth and adobe masonry 7 meters high. After examining an area of ​​1,350 square meters between the city walls and trial northern excavations, scientists discovered a later Muslim cemetery in the upper layers, and the remains of urban buildings in the lower layers.

Excavations on the western side of the hill have unearthed stone stairs built after the destruction of the city walls, and under the stairs were also the remains of much earlier houses. In the northern part of the hill, the walls of the Hittite building (the Khilani building) were exposed. Closer to the eastern wall, which has not been preserved, are the remains of houses. Not far from the inner city wall are blocks of houses, as well as a street under the wall. On an area of ​​200 square meters to the west, a city wall and the remains of buildings were discovered, and a Byzantine necropolis was found under the wall. Near the southwestern wall, the remains of a house from the Jewish era were unearthed.

Initially, archaeologists counted eight layers, replacing one another: Muslim, the latest, represented by graves; Byzantine layer; late Jewish, with fragments of Attic utensils of the classical era; ancient Jewish (house over an ancient wall); Israeli, which includes the Khilani house, the houses in the center (closer to the missing east wall), graves, stairs, and the outer city wall; late Canaanite (finds between the outer and inner city walls and ceramics); ancient Canaanite - the remains of a city with houses and an outer and inner city wall; finally, the original layer, also divided into several periods, to which the houses under the inner city wall belong, some arrays of bricks to the northwest? ...

Despite the significant shortcomings with which the excavations were carried out, even the fact that scientists certainly wanted to "fit to the Bible" many discoveries, the main contribution of Sellin and his colleagues to science is that the history of Jericho ceased to be reckonable from Joshua, and the scientific world received the most ancient city known on Earth, dating back (in the view of the 1920s) to the 4th millennium BC. e.

The city was called Lunar because of the cult of the Moon. The initial and Canaanite periods of Jericho, of which the latter is indicated by the destruction of massive brick walls in the northwest and the erection of two city walls - outer and inner, like two rings. The city was especially impregnable from the east, from where the nomads pestered. The population of the city, both in the initial period and in the Canaanite period, was one and the same. In the oldest layer, tools made of flint, tools made of other stones, the so-called "cup" stones, were found.

After the destruction of the city of the initial period, Jericho moved somewhat to the south of the hill. The Canaanite walls were erected already in the III-II millennium BC. e. Sellin correlated the fact of destruction with the invasion of the “four kings of the East” (Book of Genesis, ch. 14).

The double defensive wall of Jericho is an exception for Palestine. But among the Hittites it was a common method of protection.

Canaanite Jericho is very beautiful. It contains Aegean and Babylonian motifs, although it is mostly independent. In one of the houses, a stone god was found, similar to the products of Gezer. Burials of the Canaanite period were not found in the city. The city was destroyed from the east, where the entire city wall was destroyed, and set on fire (traces of fire are everywhere), after which it remained almost uninhabited for some time. However, part of the population continued to live in Jericho, and archeology connects this with the late Canaanite period. The period is characterized by the so-called impaled ceramics. Sellin believed that this time Jericho was destroyed by the Israelites. During the Israelite era, the Canaanites lived in the city for a long time, until they were completely assimilated with the conquerors. However, excavations at the beginning of the century showed that the late Canaanite period left no traces of the presence of another people. Before the invasion of the Israelites in the middle of the II millennium BC. e. there were still a few centuries left ... Actually, the Israeli layer in Jericho, Sellin himself dated the XI-IX centuries BC. e.

Jericho, Israel, had an unusually lively life. The influence of ties with the Aramaic regions affected. Stairs were built over the ruined walls, and a new imposing wall was erected, the Khilani palace in the Hittite style. Archaeologists have found a lot of multi-colored various ceramics, even stylized as metal. The palace and wall of Israel's Jericho were built by Chiel, probably the viceroy of King Ahab. Jericho became the center of a significant region, and the fortress protected from the Moabites.

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In Israeli Jericho, burials were unearthed in the courtyards of houses. Clay vessels were found with the bones. The children were buried under the floor of the houses.

At the end of the 8th century BC. e. the kingdom of Israel perished (722). The walls of Israeli Jericho were destroyed. But the city did not stop its existence. Above it, two of its periods - early and late - lived the Jewish Jericho. The city was no longer fortified, but life was in full swing in it. The early Jewish city was on the eastern slope of the hill. Jericho traded with Cyprus and Egypt. Among the finds are Cypriot vases, Indian ceramics, Attic and Hellenistic vessels, amulets, gods and demons. The city of Judea was destroyed under Sodecius by the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar, who attacked suddenly: many utensils remained in the houses. The city was burned, and many people were taken into captivity. New Jericho began to be rebuilt in the north (within the former).

In 350 B.C. e. the city was again destroyed, and all the inhabitants were taken into captivity. Until the middle of the II century BC. e. Maccabean city was located 2-3 kilometers northwest of the hill. At the end of the 2nd century, Jericho again came to life, however, also not on a hill, but near Wadi Kelt. But in the year 70 of the 1st century A.D. e. was destroyed by Vespasian. Under Adrian, it was restored. Then the ruins of Khilani were still “alive”, which were revered as “the house of Rahab”. And, although this house is later, it is presented as the house of a traitor to the city, who helped Israel.

In 614 the city was destroyed by the Persians. Traces of the Byzantine period have been preserved: a pottery oven, a lot of dishes - ceramic, glass, bronze, iron ...

The city existed in the 7th-9th centuries, and later. From the 13th century, there was a Muslim village in it, which was demolished by Ibrahim Pasha in the middle of the 19th century ... But life on the hill did not stop: the village of Erich remained ...

As for the Jericho Trumpets, this is probably not a legend, but a remnant of a wonderful ancient knowledge, known then, but forgotten by us. So the ziggurat of Chichen Itza Kukulkan in the days of spring and autumn equinox“with the accuracy of a Swiss chronometer” (G. Hancock “Traces of the Gods”) on the steps of the northern staircase from triangles of light and shadow, he added the image of a giant wriggling snake. The illusion lasted for three hours and twenty-two minutes... wonderful temples Ancient America, according to the enthusiastic recollections of the Indians themselves, were built "to the sound of divine trumpets": the multifaceted block itself fit into a complex geometric masonry. These walls are still standing today. In the same way, to the sounds of the lyre of Orpheus, the stones themselves folded into the walls, and the trees began to dance. Perhaps the walls of Jericho were destroyed in an equally incredible way ... True, the children of Israel had to work hard, carrying the “Holy Ark” around the city for seven whole days ...

Hisham Palace. Mosaic with Goddess.

And, oddly enough, Zellin's research showed that the walls of Jericho did indeed fall! Outer - outward, inner - inward. For several decades, a dispute arose: when? .. And so far there is no consensus on this matter among scientists. We venture to suggest that, nevertheless, at the turn of the XIV-XIII centuries BC. e. this version is not rejected by some experts.

Further events were associated with new discoveries. An accidental grenade explosion on a hill in 1918 unearthed an ancient synagogue.

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Since 1929, excavations in Jericho were led by the Englishman John Gersteng. In 1935-1936, he discovered the lower layers of the Stone Age settlement! People who did not know ceramics already led a sedentary lifestyle. They lived first in round semi-dugouts, and later in rectangular houses. In one of these excavated houses, a front hall with six wooden pillars was found - these are the remains of a temple. Scientists did not find household items here, but they found many animal figurines made of clay: horses, cows, goats, sheep, pigs, as well as plastic sculptures of fertility symbols. In one of the layers of prehistoric Jericho, life-size group portraits (sculptures) of men, women and children (clay on a reed frame) were found.

Further discoveries in Jericho were made by Cutley Canyon in 1953. It was then that they started talking about Jericho as the oldest city in the world.

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The fortress of the 8th millennium was surrounded by a thick stone wall with powerful towers, and none of the later cities on this site had such powerful towers. The wall surrounded an area of ​​2.5 hectares, where about 3 thousand people lived. Most likely, they were engaged in the salt trade with Dead Sea.

In addition, ancient Jericho is probably the "ancestors" of the tradition of beheading the dead before burial. Probably, this was associated with the cult of the Moon and symbolized the hopes for rebirth. In any case, the heads were kept (or buried) separately from the body. This custom is still preserved among some peoples.

This was the oldest city on Earth, Jericho.

Thanks to his geographic location Jericho has long been the key to the Palestinian Highlands, as many roads converged here. Pilgrims from countries located east of the Jordan gathered in the city when they went to Jerusalem on the days of great temple holidays. Jesus Christ also came here from Nazareth, when he first directed his steps towards the holy city. Not reaching Jericho, the Savior healed a man who was blind from birth, who was sitting by the road and begging.

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Not far from the market square of modern Jericho stands a hill 20 meters high. It was here at the beginning of the 20th century that what was left of ancient Jericho, one of the oldest cities in the world, was discovered. However, on the territory of the excavations, the remains of a powerful tower that has grown deep into the ground also attract attention; and north of the excavations of ancient Jericho are the ruins of the palace of Hisham ibn al-Malik, the Umayyad caliph of Damascus. This magnificent palace was built in the 8th century, but now scientists have found only the remains of two mosques and several baths. The main attraction of the Hisham Palace are the surviving mosaic paintings: one of them is especially noteworthy, which depicts the “tree of life”, strewn with golden fruits, and a lion attacking gazelles.

On the western border of modern Jericho rises the "Forty-Day Mountain" (its height is 380 m), which is also called the "Mountain of Temptation". It is on this mountain that, according to legend, Jesus Christ, tempted by the devil, fasted for 40 days and 40 nights after his baptism. At the top of the mountain there are ruins of a Byzantine church.

Joshua Nun. A fall Jericho.

On the way to this mountain is the source of the prophet Elisha, and the ruins around it indicate the location of the ancient city, located five miles from the Jordan River. However, some scholars believe that the New Testament Jericho was not located at this place, which may coincide (or may not coincide at all) with the location small village Erich, sometimes called Jericho.

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Many ancient cities claim the right to be called the first city of the Earth. We will talk about the two oldest and most ancient cities, according to archaeologists and historians. These two cities are Jericho and Hamukar. These cities existed thousands of years ago.

Jericho

First of all, the definition of "the oldest city" refers to Jericho - an oasis near the place where the Jordan River flows into the Dead Sea. The city of Jericho, widely known from the Bible, is located here - the very one whose walls once fell from the sound of the trumpets of Joshua.

According to biblical tradition, the Israelites began the conquest of Canaan from Jericho, and after the death of Moses, under the leadership of Joshua, they crossed the Jordan and stood at the walls of this city. The townspeople, who took refuge behind the walls of the city, were convinced that the city was impregnable. But the Israelis used an extraordinary military stratagem. They circled the city walls in a silent crowd six times, and on the seventh they shouted in unison and blew their trumpets, so loudly that the formidable walls collapsed. Hence the expression "Jericho Trumpet".

Jericho is fed by water from the powerful spring of Ain es-Sultan ( "Source of the Sultan"), to which the city owes its origin. The Arabs call the name of this source a hill north of modern Jericho - Tell es-Sultan ( Sultan Mountain). Already in late XIX centuries, it attracted the attention of archaeologists and is still considered one of the most important sites of archaeological finds of objects from the early historical period.

In 1907 and 1908, a group of German and Austrian researchers, led by professors Ernst Sellin and Karl Watzinger, began excavations for the first time at Mount Sultana. They came across two parallel fortified walls built of sun-dried bricks. The outer wall had a thickness of 2 m and a height of 8-10 m, and the thickness inner wall reached 3.5 m.

Archaeologists have determined that these walls were built between 1400 and 1200 BC. It is understandable that they were quickly identified with the walls that the Bible says were torn down by the mighty trumpets of the Israelite tribes. However, during the excavations, archaeologists came across the remains of construction debris, which was of even greater interest to science than the finds that confirmed the Bible's information about the war. But the first World War suspended further research.

More than twenty years passed before a group of Englishmen, under the guidance of Professor John Garstang, were able to continue their research. New excavations began in 1929 and continued for about ten years.

In 1935-1936, Garstang came across the lowest layers of the Stone Age settlements.

He discovered a cultural layer older than the 5th millennium BC, dating back to the time when people did not yet know pottery. But the people of this era already led a sedentary lifestyle.

The work of the Garstang expedition was interrupted due to the difficult political situation. And only after the end of World War II did English archaeologists return to Jericho again. This time the expedition was led by Dr. Kathleen M. Canyon, whose activities are associated with all further discoveries in this ancient city of the world. To participate in the excavations, the British invited German anthropologists who had been working in Jericho for several years.

In 1953, archaeologists led by Kathleen Canyon managed to make outstanding discovery, which completely changed our understanding of the early history of mankind. The researchers made their way through 40 (!) Cultural layers and found structures of the Neolithic period with huge buildings dating back to the time when, it would seem, only nomadic tribes should have lived on Earth, earning their livelihood by hunting and gathering plants and fruits. The results of the excavations showed that about 10 thousand years ago, a qualitative leap was made in the eastern Mediterranean, associated with the transition to the artificial cultivation of cereals. This led to drastic changes in culture and lifestyle.

The discovery of early agricultural Jericho became an archeological sensation in the 1950s. Systematic excavations have unearthed a number of successive layers, united in two complexes - pre-ceramic Neolithic A (VIII millennium BC) and pre-ceramic Neolithic B (VII millennium BC).

Today, Jericho A is considered the first urban-type settlement discovered in the Old World. Here are found the earliest known to science buildings of a permanent type, burial places and sanctuaries, built of earth or small rounded unbaked bricks.

The pre-ceramic Neolithic A settlement occupied an area of ​​about 4 hectares and was surrounded by a powerful defensive wall made of stone. A massive round stone tower adjoined it. Initially, the researchers assumed that this was the tower of the fortress wall. But obviously it was a building special purpose, which combined many functions, including the function of a sentry post to control the surroundings.

Under the protection of a stone wall were round, tent-like houses on stone foundations with walls made of mud brick, one surface of which was convex (this type of brick is called "pig's back"). In order to more accurately determine the age of these structures, the latest scientific methods were applied, for example, the radiocarbon (radiocarbon) method.

Atomic physicists in the study of isotopes found that it is possible to determine the age of objects by the ratio of radioactive and stable isotopes of carbon. By sounding, it was found that the most ancient walls of this city belong to the VIII millennium, that is, their age is about 10 thousand years. The sanctuary discovered as a result of excavations had an even more ancient age - 9551 BC.

There is no doubt that Jericho A, with its sedentary population and developed construction business, was one of the first early agricultural settlements on Earth. Based on many years of research conducted here, historians have received a completely new picture of the development and technical capabilities that mankind had 10 thousand years ago.

The transformation of Jericho from a small primitive settlement with miserable huts and huts into a real city with an area of ​​at least 3 hectares and a population of more than 2,000 people is associated with the transition of the local population from a simple gathering of edible cereals to agriculture - growing wheat and barley. At the same time, the researchers found that this revolutionary step was not taken as a result of some kind of introduction from the outside, but was the result of the development of the tribes living here: archaeological excavations of Jericho showed that in the period between the culture of the original settlement and the culture of the new city, which was built at the turn of IX and VIII millennia BC, life was not interrupted here.

At first, the town was not fortified, but with the advent of strong neighbors, fortress walls were needed to protect against attacks. The appearance of fortifications speaks not only of the confrontation of various tribes, but also of the accumulation by the inhabitants of Jericho of certain material assets that attracted the greedy eyes of neighbors. What were these values? Archaeologists have answered this question as well. Probably, the main source of income for the townspeople was barter: a well-located city controlled the main resources of the Dead Sea - salt, bitumen and sulfur. Obsidian, jade and diorite from Anatolia, turquoise from the Sinai Peninsula, cowrie shells from the Red Sea were found in Jericho - all these goods were highly valued during the Neolithic period.

The fact that Jericho was a powerful urban center is evidenced by its defensive fortifications. Without the use of picks and hoes, a ditch 8.5 m wide and 2.1 m deep was cut in the rock. A stone wall 1.64 m thick rose behind the ditch, preserved at a height of 3.94 m. Its original height probably reached 5 m , and above there was a laying of raw bricks.

During the excavations, a large round stone tower with a diameter of 7 m was discovered, preserved to a height of 8.15 m, with an internal staircase carefully built from solid stone slabs a meter wide. The tower housed a storehouse for grain and clayed cisterns to collect rainwater.

The stone tower of Jericho was probably built at the beginning of the 8th millennium BC. and lasted for a very long time. When it ceased to be used for its intended purpose, crypts for burials began to be arranged in its internal passage, and the former vaults were used as dwellings. These rooms were often rebuilt. One of them, which died in a fire, dates back to 6935 BC

After that, in the history of the tower, archaeologists counted four more periods of existence, and then the city wall collapsed and began to erode. Apparently, the city was already empty at that time.

The construction of a powerful defensive system required an enormous expenditure of labor, the use of a significant labor force and the presence of some kind of central authority to organize and direct the work. Researchers estimate the population of this world's first city at 2,000, and this figure may be an underestimate.

What did these first citizens of the Earth look like and how did they live?

An analysis of the skulls and bone remains found in Jericho showed that 10 thousand years ago, undersized people with elongated skulls (dolichocephals), who belonged to the so-called Euro-African race, lived here 10 thousand years ago. They built oval dwellings from lumps of clay, the floors of which were deepened below ground level. The house was entered through a doorway with wooden jambs. Several steps led down. Most of the houses consisted of a single round or oval room with a diameter of 4-5 m, covered with a vault of intertwined rods. The ceiling, walls and floor were plastered with clay. The floors in the houses were carefully leveled, sometimes painted and polished.

The inhabitants of ancient Jericho used stone and bone tools, did not know ceramics and ate wheat and barley, the grains of which were ground on stone grain grinders with stone pestles. From rpyboy food, consisting of cereals and legumes, pounded in stone mortars, these people completely wore out their teeth.

Despite a more comfortable habitat than that of primitive hunters, their life was exceptionally hard, and average age inhabitants of Jericho did not exceed 20 years. Child mortality was very high, and only a few lived to be 40-45 years old. There were apparently no people older than this age in ancient Jericho at all.

The townspeople buried their dead right under the floors of their dwellings, putting iconic plaster masks on their skulls with cowrie shells inserted into the eyes of the masks.

It is curious that in the oldest graves of Jericho (6500 BC), archaeologists mostly find skeletons without a head. Apparently, the skulls were separated from the corpses and buried separately. The cult cutting off of the head is known in many parts of the world and has been encountered up to our time. Here in Jericho, scholars have encountered what appears to be one of the earliest manifestations of this cult.

During this "pre-pottery" period, the inhabitants of Jericho did not use earthenware - they were replaced by stone vessels, carved mainly from limestone. Probably, the townspeople also used all kinds of wickerwork and leather receptacles like wineskins.

Not knowing how to sculpt earthenware, ancient inhabitants Jericho, at the same time, animal figurines and other images were sculpted from clay. In residential buildings and tombs of Jericho, many clay figurines of animals, as well as stucco images of the phallus, were found. The cult of the male principle was widespread in ancient Palestine, and its images are found in other places.

In one of the layers of Jericho, archaeologists discovered a kind of front hall with six wooden pillars. Probably, it was a sanctuary - a primitive predecessor of the future temple. Inside this room and in the immediate vicinity of it, archaeologists did not find any household items, but they found numerous clay figurines of animals - horses, cows, sheep, goats, pigs and models of male genital organs.

The most amazing discovery in Jericho was the stucco figures of people. They are made from local limestone clay called hawara with a reed frame. These figurines are of normal proportions, but flat frontal. Nowhere, except for Jericho, have archaeologists encountered such figurines before.

In one of the prehistoric layers of Jericho, life-size group sculptures of men, women and children were also found. For their manufacture, clay similar to cement was used, which was smeared on a reed frame. These figures were still very primitive and planar: after all, for many centuries plastic art was preceded by rock paintings or images on the walls of caves. The found figures show what great interest the inhabitants of Jericho showed in the miracle of the origin of life and the creation of a family - this was one of the first and most powerful impressions of prehistoric man.

The appearance of Jericho - the first urban center - testifies to the emergence of high forms public organization Even the invasion of more backward tribes from the north in the 5th millennium BC. could not interrupt this process, which eventually led to the creation of highly developed ancient civilizations of Mesopotamia and the Middle East.

Hamukar

In Syria, the ruins of a city were discovered, which, according to scientists, is at least 6,000 years old. The find actually changed the traditional ideas about the appearance of cities and civilization on Earth in general. It forces us to view the spread of civilization in a new light, starting from an earlier time. Prior to this, the discovery of the city, dating back to 4000 BC, was found only in ancient Sumer - between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers on the territory of modern Iraq, the last, the most ancient, was found in the southeastern part of Syria under a huge hill near the village of Hamukar . The mysterious city was also named Hamukar.

For the first time, archaeologists began to actively dig the ground here back in the 1920s-1930s. Then they assumed that it was here that Vashshukani was located - the capital of the Mitanni Empire (approximately XV century BC), which has not yet been discovered. But signs of settlement in this area were not found at that time - “ Washukan theory' turned out to be untenable.

Many years passed, and scientists again became interested in this place. And not in vain: after all, it is located on one of the most important transport arteries of antiquity - the road from Nineveh to Aleppo, along which travelers and caravans of merchants stretched. This situation, according to scientists, gave a lot of advantages and created excellent prerequisites for the development of the city.

The researchers really found signs indicating its existence as early as the middle of the 4th millennium BC.

Then in southern Iraq, one after another, the first cities arose, and their colonies formed in Syria.

This time the archaeologists were determined - in the most direct sense - to get to the bottom of the truth. A special Syrian-American expedition was formed to explore Hamukar, the director of which was McGuire Gibson, a leading researcher at the Oriental Institute at the University of Chicago. The first spade hit the ground in November 1999. The expedition had to settle in, settle down, prepare the excavation area, hire local residents for hard work...

It all started with the compilation detailed map terrain. And only then, with its help, archaeologists began the next, no less painstaking stage of work: it was necessary to carefully - almost with a magnifying glass in hand - examine the entire excavation area, collecting various shards. Such studies would give a fairly accurate idea of ​​the size and shape of the settlement. And luck really smiled at the archaeologists - the ancient cities hidden in the earth "fell down" as if from a cornucopia.

The first of the found settlements belonged to about 3209. BC. and covered an area of ​​about 13 hectares. Gradually it grew, its territory increased to 102 hectares, and subsequently the settlement became one of the largest cities of that time. Then, based on the found items, other, most interesting places for excavations were identified. In the eastern part of the settlement, archaeologists discovered a building in which pots were fired. And the main result of the survey of the area was the discovery of a large settlement south of the hill. His more detailed study confirmed that this territory began to be settled at the beginning of the 4th millennium BC. If all the discovered settlements are recognized as one city, then its area will be more than 250 that, which is hard to believe. At that time, in the era of the birth of the first urban settlements, such a large city was a real metropolis of antiquity.

Satellites have helped scientists a lot. The photographs taken from them prompted the researchers to another thought, when, 100 m from the hill, on its northern and eastern sides, they distinguished a dark meandering line, similar to a city wall, while only a small slope was visible on the ground. Further examination showed that the wall could be located closer to the hill, and the slope was preserved from the ditch that supplied the city with water.

Excavations were carried out in three zones. The first is a trench 60 m long and 3 m wide, running along the northern slope of the hill. Its gradual digging enabled archaeologists to consider the development of the settlement in different eras, since each step was 4-5 m lower than the next one. So: the lowest layer that scientists reached showed the city 6000 years ago!

On the next level, the walls of several houses made of clay blocks were found, as well as a huge, possibly urban, wall 4 meters high and 4 meters thick. The remains of ceramics under it date back to the middle of the 4th millennium BC. Next comes the level dating back to 3200 BC. Ceramics from here refers to the creativity of the peoples of southern Iraq, which indicates the interaction of the Syrian and Mesopotamian peoples at that time.

These houses are followed by more "young" buildings built in the III millennium BC. There are already baked brick houses and wells here. Directly above one of the houses a later building was built - the middle of the 1st millennium, and then there is a modern cemetery.

Another excavation area abounded in potsherds. It was divided into sections of five square meters And carefully "shoveled" all the land. Archaeologists have discovered here houses with perfectly preserved clay walls. And inside in a huge amount were things of bygone days - all covered with a thick layer of ash. This created great difficulties for scientists: try to find burnt fragments in the cracks of the floors, in various bumps and pits.

Soon, sources of such abundant ash were found - in one room, the remains of four or five slabs made of clay bars were unearthed, which were partially burned when the furnaces were heated. Around the plates there were remains of barley, wheat, oats, as well as animal bones. Hence, power stoves are used for baking bread, brewing beer, cooking meat and other foods.

The pottery discovered here amazed scientists with its diversity: large pots for cooking ordinary food, small vessels, as well as small elegant vessels, the walls of which are equal to the thickness of the shell of an ostrich egg. Figurines with big eyes were also found in the houses, possibly some deities from the middle of the 4th millennium BC.

But still, 15 seals in the form of carefully traced animals tell the most fully about the society of that era. All of them were found in the same pit, presumably a grave. A huge number of beads made of bone, faience, stone and shells were also found here, and some of them were so small size, which can be assumed: they were not used as necklaces, but were woven or sewn into clothes.

The seals are carved from stone in the form of animals. One of the largest and most beautiful seals is made in the form of a leopard, the spots on which are made using small pins inserted into drilled holes. A seal was also found, not inferior to the leopard in beauty, - in the form of a horned beast, which, unfortunately, the horns broke off. The large seals are much more varied, but far fewer in number than the small ones, the main types of which are the lion, goat, bear, dog, hare, fish, and birds. The larger and more elaborate seals must have belonged to people of great power or wealth, while the smaller ones may have been used by others to signify private property.

In a small pit two meters deep in the northeastern part of the excavation, just below the surface, the researchers found a wall dating from the 7th century BC. AD, and even a meter below - the corner of the building, reinforced with a support with two niches. The prop was placed next to the door that leads to the east. The doorframe, support, niches and the south wall are covered with lime. Typically, such props with niches were installed not at private, but at temple buildings. Fragments of pottery found near the temple indicate the beginning of the 3rd millennium BC, that is, the Akkadian period, when the rulers of Akkad, a state in southern Mesopotamia, began to expand into the territory of present-day Syria. Since this is a critical period in the history of Mesopotamia, the place where so many eras intertwined becomes the main focus of the expedition's forces in the next season.

Previously, historians assumed that the Syrian and Turkish states began to actively develop only after contact with representatives of Uruk - ancient state in southern Iraq. But the excavations of Hamukar prove that highly developed societies appeared not only in the valley of the Tigris and Euphrates, but also in other areas at the same time. Some researchers even believe that civilization originally originated in Syria. The discovery actually changed the traditional ideas about the emergence of cities and civilization in general, forcing us to consider its birth and spread at an earlier time.

If earlier it was believed that civilization originated in the Uruk period (okayo 4000 BC), now there is evidence of its existence as early as the Ubaid period (about 4500 BC). This means that the development of the first states began before the appearance of writing and other phenomena that are considered criteria for the emergence of civilization. Between different peoples, vital ties began to form, people exchanged experience. Civilization began to walk the planet with leaps and bounds!

The excavations of Hamukar promise many more discoveries, because this is the only place where the layers of 4000 BC. lie two meters from the surface and even higher.

Based on materials from 100velikih.com and bibliotekar.ru