10. Varanasi, India (5,000 years): Hinduism, the oldest religion in existence, was founded in Varanasi, the oldest city in India.
9. Plovdiv, Bulgaria (6,000 years): Plovdiv is one of the oldest cities in Europe, with a history spanning more than six millennia.
8. Sidon, Lebanon (6,000 years): Sidon was one of the most significant Phoenician cities due to its location as a vital port on the Mediterranean.
7. Erbil, Iraq (6,000 years): Over the centuries, the Persians, Greeks, Romans, Mongols, and Ottoman Turks have all left their mark in Erbil.
6. Suda, Iran (6,300 years): Susa, a Proto-Elamite city from antiquity, was one of the most significant cities in the Ancient Near East since it served as the centre of several early civilizations.
5. Athens, Greece (7,000 years): With its earliest human presence dating back to about the eleventh and the seventh millennia BC, Athens dominated the Attica region.
4. Argos, Greece (7,000 years): Research indicates that Argos maintained its neutrality throughout history and refrained from taking sides in the Greco-Persian Wars.
3. Byblos, Lebanon (7,000 years): Humans are thought to have initially settled at Byblos between 8800 and 7000 B.C., and have remained there constantly since 5000 BC.
2. Aleppo, Syria (8,000 years): Aleppo has been inhabited continuously for over 8,000 years.
1. Damascus, Syria (11,000 years): The oldest city in the world, Damascus is also known as the capital of Arab culture.