Human civilization has existed for tens, or even hundreds of thousands of years, according to the official versions of scientists. At the first stages of their development, people already understood that in groups their survival would be easier, because it is impossible to resist predators and weather conditions alone. Groups eventually grew into tribes, small settlements appeared, and then the first cities in the world. The appearance of large cities at that time was a turning point in the history of people, because humanity was able to build its civilizations and develop faster.
Many of the cities that our ancestors founded thousands of years ago have long since disappeared due to wars, natural disasters or migrations. Archaeologists find ruins of ancient settlements around the world and try to determine their age. However, there are also those cities in the world that appeared at the dawn of civilization and were able to resist the times, surviving to this day. Tourists from all over the world come to them to touch the history of Antiquity and walk through the places where people walked thousands of years ago.
Jericho, Palestine
The oldest city of the planets, preserved until the XXI century, is Considered to be Jericho. It is located in the Judean Desert, and people have been constantly inhabiting it for about 12 thousand years - during this period the first settlements appeared here, and later people began to build city walls and other fortifications.
The first known mention of Jericho, located 10-12 kilometers from the Dead Sea, appeared in the Bible – the invaders wanted to destroy the walls of the city with pipes. The thousand-year-old ruins of Jericho are located next to the modern city, and archaeologists have found hundreds of ancient buildings that are now of interest to tourists: temples dedicated to different religions, royal palaces, houses of ordinary residents and so on.
Thebes, Egypt
The Egyptian city of Thebes arose in the XXIII century BC, when Egypt was in the era of the Old Kingdom. 200 years later, the city became the capital of the country, led by pharaohs from the XI dynasty of the Middle Kingdom. The ancient Egyptian civilization in the usual sense was laid in these regions, and Thebes can offer travelers dozens of ancient monuments of architecture and culture. The period of the peak power of Thebes is considered to be the XIV century BC, when pharaohs from the New Kingdom sat in the capital.
Tourists from all over the planet visit the Egyptian city to visit the necropolis where kings and local nobility rest for excursions to the temples of Luxor and Karnak.
Jerusalem, Israel
Jerusalem is considered a holy city, with millions of Buddhist, Christian and Muslim pilgrims coming here every year. Tourists here are a frequent phenomenon, because there are many attractions in the city, and its history is very rich. At every step in Jerusalem there are buildings whose age is hundreds and thousands of years. According to historians, the first settlements on the territory of Jerusalem arose 5 thousand years ago, but the first mentions in writing about this city are recorded in the twentieth century BC - the records were made by the Egyptians.
When King David and his army captured Jerusalem, he made it the capital of his state. David's son, Solomon, built large walls around the city and built a temple. For 3000 years of further existence, the city was captured, plundered and destroyed by the troops of different peoples: Egyptians, Arabs, Babylonians, Romans, Turks and Crusaders. However, no army managed to destroy Jerusalem, and each time the city was rebuilt.
Athens, Greece
The most ancient capital of Europe is deservedly considered the city of Athens - European culture and world science were born here. On the territory of Athens, whose age is estimated at 6000 years, Plato, Aristotle, Socrates, Diogenes and other scientists and philosophers were born and lived. The entire city is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and travelers from Europe and America come here to see the temples of Zeus, Hephaestus, Athena, and other gods of the ancient Greek pantheon. There are hundreds of monuments and museums.
Troy, Turkey
For hundreds of years, Troy was considered a semi-mythical city, and few believed in its real existence, but this place is the most famous in the entire era of the Ancient World. Troy appeared 5,000 years ago, but it gained worldwide fame thanks to Homeric "Odyssey" and "Iliad". The Trojan War, the siege and destruction of the city, the famous trick with the Trojan Horse - what makes this place legendary.
It was possible to find the ruins of the legendary place only in the middle of the XIX century, when an archaeologist named Heinrich Schliemann equipped an expedition to search for Troy. Now only ruins remain from the famous place, but this does not prevent thousands of travelers from all over the world from coming to Turkey to see them with their own eyes.
Rome, Italy
Once the strongest city in the world was the cradle of the most advanced civilization – the ancient Romans. The greatest city in the history of mankind, according to the legends of Romulus and Remus, appeared in 753 BC. To become the first king of the city on the Tiber, Romulus killed his brother and led Rome, which later became the most developed city of its era.
Despite the fact that in 476 the Roman Empire fell, its capital retained its influence and religious power, becoming one of the key places in Europe for Christianity. Now on the territory of Rome you can find hundreds of imperial buildings in the form of the Colosseum, the Pantheon, the Golden House of Nero and other things. Moreover, in the Italian capital there are many museums that store ancient artifacts and relics of antiquity and the Renaissance.
Xi'an, China
The age of the old Chinese capital exceeds 3000 years. The Celestial Empire is in principle one of the oldest countries in the world, so there are many old settlements on its territory, but the most significant for the culture is Xi'an.
The Chinese lands in the III century BC were united by the ruler Qin Shi Huang, who ordered to build a large tomb for himself. To protect the afterlife of King Shi Huangdi, the Chinese created the legendary Terracotta Army - 8100 full-size statues of Chinese warriors and their horses. It was possible to discover it only in 1974, a huge collection of soldiers became known to the whole world, and tourists continue to be interested in it. In addition to the tomb and the Terracotta Army, in Siani you can look at other attractions: the Small and Large Pagodas of Wild Geese, the Bell Tower, the city walls, the Muslim Quarter and so on.
