The Middle East cradles some of humanity’s oldest continuously inhabited settlements, where ancient history breathes alongside modern life. These urban centers have witnessed the rise and fall of countless empires yet somehow managed to adapt and survive through millennia of change.
Their streets tell stories of conquest, commerce, and cultural exchange that have profoundly shaped our world. Here is a list of 20 ancient Middle Eastern cities that continue to thrive today, each a testament to human resilience and cultural continuity.
Damascus, Syria
Damascus is the world’s oldest continuously inhabited city, with evidence of settlement dating back to at least 11,000 years ago. Despite recent conflicts, the ancient walled city, with its magnificent Umayyad Mosque and labyrinthine souks, remains modern Syria’s cultural and commercial heart.
The old city’s architecture reflects layers of civilization—Roman, Byzantine, and Islamic—all seamlessly integrated into the fabric of daily life, like pages in a living history book.
Jerusalem, Israel/Palestine
Jerusalem has been continuously inhabited for over 5,000 years and remains central to three major world religions. The Old City, with its Western Wall, Church of the Holy Sepulchre, and Dome of the Rock, draws millions of visitors annually while functioning as a living, breathing community.
Modern Jerusalem extends far beyond its ancient walls, yet the historical core maintains its profound spiritual significance as people of diverse faiths continue centuries-old traditions.
Like Travel Pug’s content? Follow us on MSN.
Istanbul, Turkey
Founded as Byzantium around 657 BCE, later becoming Constantinople, Istanbul uniquely straddles two continents and thousands of years of history. The Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque dominate the skyline of a city that once served as the capital of both the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires.
Today’s Istanbul is a metropolis of 15 million people, where ancient monuments and modern skyscrapers create a stunning visual timeline of human achievement.
Baghdad, Iraq
Baghdad was founded in 762 CE as the capital of the Abbasid Caliphate and quickly became the world’s center of learning and culture. The circular ‘Round City’ design reflected cosmic harmony and housed scholars who preserved and expanded upon Greek and Roman knowledge during Europe’s Dark Ages.
Modern Baghdad has weathered wars and political upheaval yet remains Iraq’s vibrant capital, where people live amid archaeological treasures of immeasurable historical importance.
Jericho, Palestine
Jericho, often called ‘the oldest city in the world,’ shows evidence of settlement dating back more than 11,000 years. Its ancient tell (archaeological mound) contains the remains of the world’s oldest protective wall and tower, built by Neolithic inhabitants around 8000 BCE.
Today’s Jericho serves as an agricultural center in the fertile Jordan Valley, where modern farms surround archaeological sites that document humanity’s first experiments with urban living.
Like Travel Pug’s content? Follow us on MSN.
Aleppo, Syria
Aleppo has been continuously inhabited since at least 5000 BCE and once rivaled Damascus as Syria’s premier city. Its magnificent citadel and covered souks exemplified medieval Islamic urban design until the recent conflict severely damaged much of its historic core.
Despite this devastation, residents have begun returning and rebuilding, demonstrating the remarkable resilience that has kept Aleppo alive through countless invasions and disasters throughout its history.
Beirut, Lebanon
Beirut’s history stretches back at least 5,000 years, with archaeological evidence of Phoenician, Roman, and Byzantine occupation layered beneath the modern city. Despite civil war and political turmoil, Lebanon’s capital remains a regional center for banking, fashion, and cultural exchange.
The downtown district features Roman baths and Phoenician walls alongside rebuilt modern structures—physical evidence of Beirut’s long-standing reputation for rebirth and reinvention.
Erbil, Iraq
The citadel of Erbil (Hawler) has been continuously inhabited for at least 6,000 years, rising dramatically above the surrounding modern city. Kurdish culture flourishes in this ancient urban center that once hosted temples to Mesopotamian deities and later served as an important Christian and Islamic site.
Today’s Erbil functions as the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan, blending oil wealth and new development with traditional bazaars that follow trade patterns established millennia ago.
Like Travel Pug’s content? Follow us on MSN.
Sidon, Lebanon
Sidon was one of the most important Phoenician cities, mentioned in texts dating back to 1400 BCE, and was renowned for its purple dye and glassmaking. The Sea Castle, built by Crusaders in the 13th century on the foundations of earlier structures, still stands guard over Sidon’s ancient harbor.
Modern residents continue age-old fishing and trading traditions while living amid archaeological remains that span thousands of years of continuous habitation.
Amman, Jordan
Amman began as Rabbath Ammon around 3000 BCE and later became the Greco-Roman city of Philadelphia, one of the Decapolis League of cities. The impressive Roman theater and citadel hill remain focal points of Jordan’s capital, now home to over four million people.
Modern Amman has expanded far beyond its ancient core, becoming a cosmopolitan hub where new neighborhoods spread across the surrounding hills while preserving the historical center as a living connection to the city’s ancient roots.
Kirkuk, Iraq
Kirkuk sits atop a settlement mound that has been continuously inhabited since 3000 BCE. Archaeological evidence shows Assyrian, Babylonian, and Persian occupation. The ancient citadel contains architectural elements spanning millennia, including an 11th-century Daniel’s Tomb revered by multiple faiths.
Today, despite conflicts, Kirkuk remains an important regional center. Its diverse population of Kurds, Arabs, and Turkmen live amid oil fields that power the modern economy while ancient traditions continue uninterrupted.
Like Travel Pug’s content? Follow us on MSN.
Byblos, Lebanon
Byblos has been continuously inhabited since at least 5000 BCE and gave its name to the Bible through its association with papyrus and book production. Phoenician temples, Roman roads, and Crusader castles layer atop one another in this UNESCO World Heritage site, where ancient harbor facilities still shelter fishing boats.
Modern visitors and locals enjoy restaurants overlooking excavated ruins, creating a unique atmosphere where everyday life continues amid some of the world’s oldest urban structures.
Sana’a, Yemen
Sana’a’s origins date back at least 2,500 years, with local legends claiming it was founded by Noah’s son Shem. The Old City’s distinctive multi-story tower houses with geometric patterns and stained-glass windows represent a unique architectural tradition that has continued unbroken for centuries.
Despite the recent conflict, Yemen’s capital remains a living museum where residents practice traditional crafts and customs in buildings that have housed generations of families since medieval times.
Tyre, Lebanon
Tyre was founded around 2750 BCE as a major Phoenician port city, later becoming famous for its purple dye and maritime trading empire. Alexander the Great’s causeway, built during his siege of the city, permanently connected Tyre’s island portion to the mainland, altering its geography for all subsequent history.
Today’s residents live amid spectacular Roman ruins, including one of the best-preserved hippodromes in the world, continuing a fishing and trading tradition that has sustained the city through Phoenician, Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Arab, and Ottoman periods.
Like Travel Pug’s content? Follow us on MSN.
Izmir, Turkey
Izmir began as ancient Smyrna around 3000 BCE and developed into one of the most important cities of the Ionian Greek world. The Roman agora remains a central feature of Turkey’s third-largest city, which was rebuilt after a devastating fire in 1922.
Modern Izmir has become a progressive cultural center known for its seafront promenade, where contemporary Turkish life unfolds against a backdrop of ancient history and Mediterranean beauty.
Gaziantep, Turkey
Gaziantep has origins dating back to the Hittite Empire around 1700 BCE, with evidence of continuous habitation through the Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman periods. The Romans built the impressive citadel that dominates the city center, and the Byzantines expanded it before it became an important Islamic fortress.
Modern Gaziantep has evolved into Turkey’s sixth-largest city, renowned for its distinctive cuisine, including its famous baklava while maintaining archaeological museums that showcase mosaics rivaling those found in any ancient city.
Acre (Akko), Israel
Under its Ottoman-era structures, Acre contains layers of Phoenician, Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, and Crusader history. The underground Crusader city and massive sea walls helped earn Acre UNESCO World Heritage status as one of the world’s best-preserved medieval towns.
Today, the city’s mixed population of Jewish and Arab citizens lives in a vibrant port city where fishing boats dock in the same harbor used by ancient mariners, creating a rare example of historical continuity across diverse cultural periods.
Like Travel Pug’s content? Follow us on MSN.
Homs, Syria
Homs was known as Emesa in ancient times. It was founded at least 2,000 years ago and has become an important religious center with a famous temple to the sun god. The city stood at a critical junction of trade routes connecting the Mediterranean to Mesopotamia, ensuring its continued importance through the Roman, Byzantine, and Islamic periods.
Despite severe damage in recent conflicts, Homs maintains its position as Syria’s third-largest city, where reconstruction efforts focus on restoring historic monuments and the urban fabric that has sustained community life for millennia.
Shiraz, Iran
Shiraz emerged as a regional center around 2,000 years ago, later becoming famous as a cultural capital during the medieval Islamic golden age. The city gave its name to various wines before Islamic prohibitions and remains known for its gardens, poetry, and literary traditions established centuries ago.
Modern Shiraz balances reverence for its cultural heritage—including nearby Persepolis—with contemporary urban development, creating a distinctively Persian blend of ancient wisdom and modern pragmatism.
Mosul, Iraq
Mosul developed adjacent to ancient Nineveh, the Assyrian capital, with evidence of continuous settlement spanning at least 2,500 years. The city controlled critical trade routes across Northern Mesopotamia and became an important early Christian center before developing into a major Islamic cultural hub.
Despite suffering tremendous destruction during recent conflicts, Mosul’s residents have begun rebuilding their historic mosques, churches, and markets, demonstrating the persistent vitality that has allowed this city to recover from numerous catastrophes throughout its history.
Like Travel Pug’s content? Follow us on MSN.
Enduring Legacy
These cities represent more than just ancient history—they embody humanity’s remarkable capacity to adapt and endure across millennia of change. Their streets have witnessed the entire scope of human experience: triumph and tragedy, innovation and stagnation, destruction and rebirth.
As we face unprecedented global challenges, these living monuments to urban resilience remind us that cities, at their best, can survive and thrive through even the most dramatic transformations of culture, technology, and environment.
More from Travel Pug
- 20 Towns Built for One Purpose That Were Later Abandoned
- 15 Hidden Spots in Disney World’s Magic Kingdom Most Visitors Miss
- 20 Once-Popular Beach Towns That Are Now Ghostly Empty
- 15 Canyons in the U.S. That Are Just as Stunning as the Grand Canyon
- 10 Under-the-Radar Mountain Towns That Are Both Affordable and Beautiful
Like Travel Pug’s content? Follow us on MSN.