https://youtu.be/CkAI1mH4PS0 World's oldest cities قدیمی ترین شهرهای جهان 20. Varanasi, India Situated on the west bank of the Ganges, Varanasi - also known as Benares - is an important holy city for both Hindus and Buddhists. According to legend, it was founded by the Hindu deity Lord Shiva 5,000 years ago, though modern scholars believe it to be around 3,000 years old. 19. Cádiz, Spain Found on a narrow spit of land jutting out into the Atlantic Ocean, Cádiz has been the home of the Spanish navy since the 18th century. It was founded by the Phoenicians as a small trading post and fell to the Carthaginians around 500BC, 18. Thebes, Greece A major rival of ancient Athens, Thebes ruled the Boeotian confederacy and even lent assistance to Xerxes during the Persian invasion of 480 BC. 17. Larnaca, Cyprus Founded as 'Citium' by the Phoenicians, Larnaca is well-known for its pretty seafront lined with palm trees. Archaeological sites and numerous beaches attract modern visitors. 16. Athens, Greece The cradle of Western Civilization and the birthplace of democracy, Athens's heritage is still very evident. It is filled with Greek, Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman monuments and remains a hugely popular tourist destination. 15. Balkh, Afghanistan Known as Bactra to the ancient Greeks, Balkh is found in northern Afghanistan and is descibed as the 'Mother of Cities' by Arabs. It reached its peak between 2,500 BC and 1,900 BC prior to the rise of the Persian and Median empires. 14. Kirkuk, Iraq Located around 150 miles north of Baghdad, Kirkuk stands on the site of the ancient Assyrian capital of Arrapha. Its strategic importance was recognised by the Babylonians and the Media, who have also controlled the city. 13. Arbil, Iraq North of Kirkuk lies Arbil, ruled at various times by the Assyrians, Persians, Sasanians, Arabs and Ottomans. It was a major stop on the Silk Road while its ancient citadel - which rises 26 metres from the ground - still dominates the skyline. 12. Tyre, Lebanon The legendary birthplace of Europa and Dido, Tyre was founded around 2,750 BC, according to Herodotus. It was conquered by Alexander the Great in 332 BC following a seven-month seige and became a Roman province in 64 BC. 11. Jerusalem The spiritual centre of the Jewish people and Islam's third-holiest city, Jerusalem is home to several key religious sites, including the Dome of the Rock, the Western Wall, 10. Beirut, Lebanon Lebanon's capital, as well as its cultural, administrative and economic centre, Beirut's history stretches back around 5,000 years. Excavations in the city have unearthed Phoenician, Hellenistic, Roman, Arab and Ottoman remains, while it is mentioned in letters to the pharaoh of Egypt as early as the 14th century BC. 9. Gaziantep, Turkey When did the earliest inhabitants settle? 3,650 BC Found in southern Turkey, close to the border with Syria, Gaziantep's history extends as far back as the Hittites. 8. Plovdiv, Bulgaria The second-largest city in Bulgaria, Plovdiv was originally a Tracian settlement before becoming a major Roman city. It later fell into Byzantine and Ottoman hands, before becoming part of Bulgaria. 7. Sidon, Lebanon Around 25 miles south of Beirut lies Sidon, one of the most important - and perhaps the oldest - Phoenician cities. It was the base from which the Phoenician's great Mediterranean empire grew. 6. Faiyum, Egypt Southwest of Cairo, Faiyum occupies part of Crocodilopolis - an ancient Egyptian city which worshipped Petsuchos, a sacred crocodile. 5. Susa, Iran Susa was the capital of the Elamite Empire before being captured by the Assyrians. It was then taken by the Achaemenid Persian under Cyrus the Great and is the setting of The Persians, an Athenian tragedy by Aeschylus and the oldest surviving play in the history of theatre. 4. Damascus, Syria Cited by some sources as the world's oldest inhabited city, Damascus may have been inhabited as early as 10,000 BC, also this is debated. It became an important settlement after the arrival of the Aramaeans, who established a network of canals, which still form the basis of its modern water networks. 3. Aleppo, Syria Syria's most populated city with around 4.4 million citizens Aleppo was founded as Halab in around 4,300 BC. As the ancient site is occupied by the modern city it is barely touched by archaeologists. The city was under Hittite control until around 800 BC, before passing through Assyrian, Greek and Persian hands. 2. Byblos, Lebanon Founded as Gebal by the Phoenicians, Byblos was given its name by the Greeks, who imported papyrus from the city. Hence the English word Bible is derived from Byblos. 1. Jericho, Palestinian Territories The world's oldest continually-inhabited city, according to our sources, archaeologists have unearthed the remains of 20