Jerusalem, Israel. The Old City in Jerusalem. The first evidence of settlement in the area has been dated to between 4500 and 3500 BCE. A walled-in area within the modern city, The Old City of Jerusalem contains many important religious sites, such as the Temple Mount and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Photographed by Shmuel Spiegelman, January 31, 2004. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AOld_City_(Jerusalem).jpgHerculaneum (modern-day Ercolano, Italy). Herculaneum, and the more famous city of Pompeii, were destroyed when Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 CE. While Pompeii was destroyed by layers of volcanic ash that covered the city, the larger, more successful city of Herculaneum was destroyed from the mixture of heat, ash, and gasses that erupted from the volcano. After the G. Dagli Orti/DeA Picture Library. https://www.britannica.com/place/Herculaneum.Rome, Italy. The Pantheon, Rome, Italy. Archaeological evidence found in Rome and the surrounding areas indicates that the area has been settled for about 10,000 years. It was the capital of the Roman Empire and many claim it is the birthplace of Western civilization. When the Roman Empire fell in the 5th century CE, Rome fell under the control of the papacy, and it was the capital of the Papal States from the 8th century to 1870. Photographed by Mario Roberto Duran Ortiz, April 27, 2016. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3APantheon_Rome_04_2016_6466.jpgPhiladelphia (modern-day Amman, Jordan). Roman amphitheatre at Amman cut into the side of a hill. Amman is the capital of Jordan and a major tourist location. The Romans conquered the area in the 1st century CE and controlled the area for the next four hundred years. The long period of Roman rule resulted in many Roman ruins that can still be seen in Amman today, including the Roman amphitheatre in Amman that was constructed under the reign of Emperor Antoninus Pius in the 2nd century AD. Photographed by Dennis Jarvis, October 11, 2004. https://www.flickr.com/photos/archer10/2216808473/. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AJordan-16B-072.jpgByblos, Lebanon. Evidence found in Byblos dates the first occupants back to the Neolithic period, and it has been continuously inhabited since 5,000 BCE. You can find many ancient and medieval sites within the city. Photographed by Giorgio Montersino, August 27, 2009. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AByblos_5.jpgBerytus (modern-day Beirut, Lebanon). The Roman baths in Beirut, Lebanon. There have been people living in Beirut and its surrounding areas for more than 5,000 years. In the city, the Heritage trail leads to the city’s historical and archaeological sites, including baths left over from the Roman period. Other archaeological ruins in the city have been identified as Greek, Phoenician, and Byzantine. Photographed by Steven Damron, December 27, 2009. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3ARoman_baths_5.jpgOea (modern-day Tripoli, Libya). The Marcus Aurelius Arch in Tripoli, Libya, built in 163 CE. The Phoenicians established the city of Oea in the 7th century BCE, and it eventually came under Roman control. The Romans renamed the city Regio Syrtica, and the Marcus Aurelius arch still stands from the Roman occupation. Tripoli has been continually occupied since it was founded, so many ancient buildings and structures have either been destroyed or they have been buried and built over. Photographed by Daniel and Kate Pett, April 2008. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AMarcus_Aurelius_Arch_Tripoli_Libya.jpgBarcino (modern-day Barcelona, Spain). Templo de Barcino (aka Temple of Augustus), Barcelona, Spain. Barcelona was established as a Roman military camp, although archaeological evidence shows that the area has been settled since about 3,000 BCE. The Romans controlled Barcelona until it was conquered by the Visigoths in the fifth century. The ruins of an ancient Roman temple were found in the late 19th century, which has been attributed to the Roman emperor Augustus, but this hasn’t been proven conclusively. Photographed by Javi Guerra Hernando, September 27, 2009. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3ABarcelona-Templo_de_Barcino_(I).jpgAgadir (modern-day Cadiz, Spain). The Roman Theatre in Cadiz, Spain. Cadiz was founded by the Phoenicians in 1104 BCE, and it later came under the control of Carthage and Rome, who renamed it Augusta Urbs Iulia Gaditana. The Roman theatre in Cadiz, built during the first century BCE, is the second-largest Roman theatre discovered today, next to the theatre found in Pompeii. Photographed by Peejayem, September 15, 2007. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3ATeatro_Romano_de_C%C3%A1diz_-_Grader%C3%ADo.JPGAnurahapura, Sri Lanka. Kuttam Pokuna pools, Anurahapura. Evidence of settlement in Anurahapura dates back to the tenth century BCE, and the king of the Anurahapura kingdom made the city his capital in the early fourth century BCE. The city is now known for its surviving ancient ruins from this period, including the Kuttam Pokuna, a site of ancient pools and its collection of monasteries that are sacred to Buddhists around the world. Wikimedia Commons.Damascus, Syria. Ruins of the ancient city of Damascus. The area around Damascus has been settled since around 6,000 BCE, but the settlement didn’t prosper until the Aramaeans settled there before 1,000 BCE. You can still see the ruins from the Roman and Byzantine periods of occupation. Photographed by Ron Van Oers. Copyright by UNESCO. http://whc.unesco.org/en/documents/107610Carthage, Tunisia. Archaeological site of Carthage. The city of Carthage was founded by Phoenicians in the first millennium BCE, and it eventually grew to dominate the trade from its prime location on the Mediterranean Sea. Carthage grew in power and military might, and engaged in the Punic Wars against Rome. After Rome defeated Carthage, the Romans destroyed the city and sold its people into slavery. Eventually, Rome rebuilt the city into Roman Carthage, which became a major hub in their African provinces. Photographed by Christian Manhart. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AArchaeological_Site_of_Carthage-130237.jpgByzantium (modern-day Istanbul, Turkey). The Hagia Sophia, Istanbul, Turkey. Istanbul was founded in 660 BCE and became one of the most powerful ancient cities. The famous Hagia Sophia was built in the sixth century, after two previous churches on the same site were destroyed. Istanbul was the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire and contributed to the spread of Christianity throughout the empire until the Ottomans conquered it in 1453. Photographed by Arild Vagen, March 1, 2013. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AHagia_Sophia_Mars_2013.jpgKorama (modern-day Göreme, Turkey). Panorama of Göreme from a hilltop. Göreme has been settled since between 1800-1200 BCE, and it is famous for its tombs and buildings cut into its high-altitude rocks. It became a place frequently fought over by the Greeks and Persians, and the people of Göreme dug tunnels into the rocks for safety. The town soon became a sanctuary for Christians who fled persecution from Rome, and Christianity has continued in the area to this day. Photographed by Bjørn Christian Tørrissen, July 31, 2009. http://bjornfree.com/galleries.html. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AGoreme_Panorama_From_Southeast.JPGJericho, West Bank. Tell es-Sultan, Jericho. There have been 23 layers of ancient civilizations discovered to date at Jericho, and the city has been inhabited since about 10,000 BCE. Tell es-Sultan is the earliest dated site and is located a few miles from the modern city. After many centuries of relative prosperity and growth within and around Jericho, the city lost its influence and power after the Romans crushed the Great Revolt of Judea in 70 CE, and it became a Roman garrison. In the 4th century, a newer, Byzantine city of Jericho was built where the modern city now stands. Photographed by Deror Avi, December 5, 2012. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3ATell_Es_Sultan_Early_Bronze_IIIb_period_Palace_P1190735.JPG
