Oldest Continuously Inhabited Cities

Cities ranked by earliest known date of continuous inhabitation.

Last updated . Source: Wikidata.

As of 2026-04-29, Jericho tops the list with -9600.

  1. #1 Jericho — -9600

    city in West Bank, Palestine

    Jericho is a city in the West Bank, Palestine, and the capital of the Jericho Governorate. The city is located in the Jordan Valley, with the Jordan River to the east and Jerusalem to the west. Read more on Wikipedia.

    Wikidata
  2. #2 Byblos — -8000

    Mediterranean city in the Mount Lebanon Governorate, Lebanon, a main Canaanite-Phoenician city

    Byblos, also known as Jbail, Jebeil, Jbeil or Jubayl, is an ancient city in the Keserwan-Jbeil Governorate of Lebanon. The area is believed to have been first settled between 8800 and 7000 BC and continuously inhabited since 5000 BC. During its history, Byblos was part of numerous cultures including Canaanite, Egyptian, Phoenician, Assyrian, Persian, Hellenistic, Roman, Genoese, Mamluk and Ottoman. Urbanisation is thought to have begun during the third millennium BC when it developed into a... Read more on Wikipedia.

    Wikidata
  3. #3 Ba'ja — -7400

    Ba'ja is the modern name of a neolithic settlement in the Ba'ja-Massif about 14 km North of Petra in Jordan.

    Ba'ja is a Neolithic village 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) north of Petra, Jordan. Like the nearby site of Basta, the settlement was built in c. 7000 BC, during the PPNB period. Ba'ja lies at an altitude of approximately 1,160 metres (3,810 ft), and is only accessible with a climbing route through a narrow, steep canyon. It is one of the largest neolithic villages in the Jordan area. Read more on Wikipedia.

    Wikidata
  4. #4 Athens — -7000

    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
  5. #5 Knossos — -6999

    ancient Minoan through Roman administrative center and city

    Knossos is an archaeological site in Crete that was occupied from the Neolithic through the ninth century AD. The site was a major centre of the Minoan civilization and is known for its association with the Greek myth of Theseus and the minotaur. During the early Iron Age it was one of the most prosperous Aegean civilizations, and it eventually became a Roman colony during the Classical period. It is located on the outskirts of Heraklion, and remains a popular tourist destination. Knossos is... Read more on Wikipedia.

    Wikidata
  6. #6 Adana — -6000

    central district and city in Adana Province, Turkey

    Adana is a large city in southern Turkey. The city is situated on the Seyhan River, 35 km (22 mi) inland from the northeastern shores of the Mediterranean Sea. It is the administrative seat of the Adana province, and has a metro population of 1,816,750. Read more on Wikipedia.

    Wikidata
  7. #7 Aleppo — -5000

    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 was the largest by population 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
  8. #8 Solnitsata — -4700

    prehistoric town near Provadia, Bulgaria

    Solnitsata was a prehistoric town located in present-day Bulgaria, near the modern city of Provadia. It is the oldest salt production center in continental Europe. It was the first prehistoric urban center in Europe. Solnitsata was a fortified stone settlement - citadelle, inner and outer city with pottery production site and the site of a salt production facility; it flourished c. 4700–4200 BC. The settlement was walled to protect the salt, a crucial commodity in antiquity. Although its... Read more on Wikipedia.

    Wikidata
  9. #9 Jerusalem — -4000

    city in the Middle East, holy to the three Abrahamic religions

    Jerusalem is a city in the Southern Levant, on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. It is one of the oldest cities in the world and is considered holy to the three major Abrahamic religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Both Israel and Palestine claim Jerusalem as their capital city; Israel maintains its primary governmental institutions there, while Palestine ultimately foresees it as its seat of power. Neither claim is widely recognised... Read more on Wikipedia.

    Wikidata
  10. #10 Aqaba — -4000

    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). Aqaba has significant trade and tourism. The Port of Aqaba also serves other countries in the region. Read more on Wikipedia.

    Wikidata