As a lover of history, researching these ancient cities was fascinating. Hope all those history lovers out there will appreciate this post :)
1- Damascus, Syria
(credit: daily mail)
Damascus was founded in the 3rd millennium B.C, crediting it to be one of the oldest cities in the Middle East. Damascus specialized in crafts such as swords and lace back in the Middle Ages. Today, it is considered one of the oldest inhabited cities to date.
2-Jericho, West Bank
(credit: karibche.ambebi)
Jericho dates back to 6800 B.C and is considered the earliest known walled city. Archeologists have discovered artifacts in the area that date back 11,000 years ago! This could possibly make it the oldest city in the world. Pretty amazing.
3- Athens, Greece
(credit: fineartamerica.com)
Perhaps one of the more well-known cities on this list, Athens dates back to 3000 B.C and is named after the greek myth of Athena and Poseidon. The legend states "Poseidon gave a spring with sea water whilst Athena offered an olive tree as she touched the ground of the sacred rock of the Acropolis. The people of Athens choose Athena as their protector and so the city was named after the goddess of wisdom. The myth is symbolic, symbolizing the strength of Athens as a city of wisdom and as a sea power." (-athensguide.org) Athens is most definitely a landmark city in history and remains a sight to see when visiting Greece. I hope to make it there one day.
4-Plovdiv, Bulgaria
(credit: mustseeplaces.eu)
Plovdiv dates back 6000 B.C, making it one of the oldest cities in Europe. According to Wikipedia, archaeologists have discovered pottery and other objects of everyday life from as early as the Neolithic Age, showing that in the end of the 7th millennium B.C there already was an established settlement there. (Imagine what life was like back then) It's cultural diversity is largely due to the large amount of people who have conquered this city. Some include "Thracians, Macedon, Romans, Byzantines, Bulgarians, and the Ottoman Turks."
5- Luoyang, China
(credit: china tour advisors)
Luoyang dates back to 4,000 years ago and has been inhabited since Neolithic times. The city is situated between the Luo and Yi rivers, making it the center of ancient China. "In 25 AD, Luoyang was declared the capital of the Eastern Han Dynasty on November 27 by Emperor Guangwu of Han. For several centuries, Luoyang was the focal point of China. In AD 68, the White Horse Temple, the first Buddhist temple in China, was founded in Luoyang. The temple still exists, though the architecture is of later origin, mainly from the 16th century. An Shigao was one of the first monks to popularize Buddhism in Luoyang." -Wikipedia
China's rich history makes for an exciting destination for travel, as it is one of the oldest, innovative civilizations in the world.
Source: https://www.mnn.com/lifestyle/eco-tourism/stories/12-oldest-continuously-inhabited-cities