As of 2026-10-12, Athens tops the list with 7,001 BC.
- #1 Athens — 7,001 BC
capital and largest city of Greece
Athens is the capital and largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica region and is the southernmost capital on the European mainland. With its urban area's population numbering over 3.6 million, it is the eighth-largest urban area in the European Union (EU). The Municipality of Athens, which constitutes a small administrative unit of the entire urban area, had a population of 643,452 in 2021, within its official... Read more on Wikipedia.
Wikidata - #2 Aleppo — 5,001 BC
city in Aleppo Governorate, Syria
Aleppo is a city in northern Syria, which serves as the capital of the Aleppo Governorate, the country's most populous governorate. With an estimated population of 2,098,000 residents as of 2021, it is Syria's largest city by urban area, and the second-largest city in the country, being the most populous until it was surpassed by Damascus, the capital of Syria. Aleppo is also the largest city in Syria's northern governorates and one of the largest cities in the Levant region. Read more on Wikipedia.
Wikidata - #3 Aqaba — 4,001 BC
Jordanian coastal city
Aqābaʾ is the only coastal city in Jordan and the largest and most populous city on the Gulf of Aqaba. Situated in southernmost Jordan, Aqaba is the administrative center of the Aqaba Governorate. The city had a population of 148,398 in 2015 and a land area of 375 square kilometres (144.8 sq mi). Read more on Wikipedia.
Wikidata - #4 Salamiyah — 3,500 BC
city
Salamiyah is a city in central Syria, administratively part of the Hama Governorate. It is located 33 kilometres southeast of Hama, 45 kilometres northeast of Homs. Its inhabitants are predominantly Ismaili. Read more on Wikipedia.
Wikidata - #5 Asyut — 3,100 BC
City in Egypt
Asyut is a city in Egypt. Located in Upper Egypt, it is the capital of the modern Asyut Governorate in Egypt. It was built close to the ancient city of the same name, which is situated nearby. The modern city is located at 27°11′00″N 31°10′00″E, while the ancient city is located at 27°10′00″N 31°08′00″E. Asyut is home to one of the largest Coptic Christian communities in the country. Read more on Wikipedia.
Wikidata - #6 Kozan — 3,000 BC
District of Adana, Turkey
Kozan, formerly Sis, is a municipality and district of Adana Province, Turkey. Its area is 1,903 km2, and its population is 132,703 (2022). It is 68 kilometres northeast of Adana, in the northern section of the Çukurova plain. The Kilgen River, a tributary of the Ceyhan, flows through Kozan and crosses the plain south into the Mediterranean. The Taurus Mountains rise up sharply behind the town. Read more on Wikipedia.
Wikidata - #7 Tulkarm — 3,000 BC
City in the State of Palestine
Tulkarm or Tulkarem is a city in the West Bank, Palestine and the capital of the Tulkarm Governorate. Netanya is to the west in Israel, while Nablus and Jenin are to the east. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, in 2017 Tulkarm had a population of 64,532. Tulkarm is under the administration of the Palestinian National Authority. Read more on Wikipedia.
Wikidata - #8 Tyre — 2,750 BC
city in the South Governorate of Lebanon, also an ancient Phoenician city and the legendary birthplace of Europa and Elissa (Dido)
Tyre is a city in Lebanon, and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. It was one of the earliest Phoenician metropolises and the legendary birthplace of Europa, her brothers Cadmus and Phoenix, and Carthage's founder Dido (Elissa). The city has many ancient sites, including the Tyre Hippodrome, and was added as a whole to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1984. The historian Ernest Renan described it as "a city of ruins, built out of ruins". Read more on Wikipedia.
Wikidata - #9 Damascus — 2,001 BC
capital and largest city of Syria
Damascus is the capital and largest city of Syria. It is the oldest capital city in the world. Known colloquially in Syria as aš-Šām and dubbed, poetically, the "City of Jasmine", Damascus is a major cultural center of the Levant and the Arab world. Read more on Wikipedia.
Wikidata - #10 Homs — 2,000 BC
city in western Syria
Homs, known in pre-Islamic times as Emesa, is a city in western Syria and the capital of the Homs Governorate. It is 501 m (1,644 ft) above sea level and is located 162 km (101 mi) north of Damascus. Located on the Orontes River, Homs is also the central link between the interior cities and the Mediterranean coast. Read more on Wikipedia.
Wikidata