9Damascus, Syria – Around 8000–10,000 BC
Damascus is another legendary contender for the title of the world’s oldest city. Archaeological discoveries around the Damascus area have produced evidence of habitation dating back thousands of years, with some sources placing the earliest occupation as far back as 10,000 BC.
The city’s position between the Mediterranean world and the interior of the Middle East helped make it an important center for trade and culture.
Damascus later became a major center of Islamic civilization, and its historic core contains monuments representing several different eras. The result is a city where ancient history and later architectural traditions exist remarkably close together.
