The impression of the big city, the traffic is busy, there is no past. But in fact, a cosmopolitan city like New York can also date back to 1624, when Dutch colonists established trading posts here and named it New Amsterdam. If you look deeper, there are not a few cities where history can be pushed forward by thousands of years, but many of them have been transformed into modern cities, making people forget their glorious past.
#耶路撒冷 #
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Jerusalem is located on a plateau between the Mediterranean Sea and the Dead Sea, and is divided into the New City and the Old City. The new city was built after 1948 AD, and the old city is the holy city of the three major religions in people's minds. Judaism's Western Wall and Temple Mount, Muslim Dome and Al-Aqsa Mosque, and Christian Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the Wrangle attract countless tourists and believers every year. The Old Town covers an area of only 100 hectares and is divided into four districts: the Jewish, Christian, Muslim and Armenian districts, the oldest of which was built in the 4th century BC. Throughout the city's long history, Jerusalem has been attacked 52 times, captured 44 times, besieged 23 times, and destroyed twice, but millions of people still live here.
#墨西哥城 Mexico #
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Mexico City is the political, economic and cultural center of Mexico and the largest city in the country. Its predecessor was the capital of the Aztec civilization, tenochtitlan. In the ancient Aztec prophecy, when they saw an eagle that fell on a cactus and the eagle happened to have a snake in its mouth, they should have built a city there. In 1325, they saw this in the Valley of Mexico, and the city of Tenochtitlan was born. They then annexed the surrounding tribes and grew stronger, and before the arrival of the Spaniards, the city had 200,000 inhabitants, making it the most glorious civilization in the Americas during the pre-Columbian era. In 1521, the Spaniards occupied it and built Mexico City in ruins.
#伦敦 United Kingdom #
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London was originally founded by the Romans, who built the port city in 43 AD and named it Lendinium. Due to its privileged geographical location, London easily developed into a densely populated and wealthy area, but it was also often invaded by foreign enemies. After the fall of the Roman Empire, much of London was abandoned due to multiple Attacks by the Vikings. Later, with the expansion of Tudor and Stewart power, London became increasingly important. By the time Henry VIII reigned, the city's population had exceeded 100,000. In 1666, a fire broke out in a bakery near London Bridge, and the fire quickly spread throughout the city, bringing a heavy disaster. Later, Sir Christopher Lane undertook the reconstruction work, and many well-known buildings such as St. Paul's Cathedral were designed by this master designer.
#亚历山大港 Egypt #
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More than 2,000 years ago, when Alexander the Great passed through Egypt, he decided to build a city named after him, and finally he set the location in what is now Alexandria. The city quickly developed into an important center of Greek civilization, with the Library of Alexandria being one of the oldest in the world. Today, egypt's second largest city and largest port, ancient ruins are hidden beneath the city's bustling exterior. It is home to the Faros Lighthouse, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, and the oldest surviving university complex in the world. In a cistern more than 1,000 years old, archaeologists have unearthed Corinthian stigmas, Egyptian lotus-shaped columns, and Roman pedestals that support stone arches. They wanted it to be a new attraction to showcase Alexandria's old glory.
#首尔 South Korea #
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Seoul's history dates back about 2,000 years, when Wiryeseong, the capital of the Baekje Kingdom, was built in what is now Seoul, on the banks of the Han River in southeastern Seoul. In 1394, the city grew tremendously as the Joseon Dynasty moved its capital to Seoul, a state that lasted until the fall of the dynasty in 1910. In the late 19th century, Seoul began a process of modernization, becoming the first city in East Asia to have both a trolleybus and telegraph system. But soon, Japan occupied the Korean Peninsula, and Seoul was plunged into a succession of wars and upheavals. After the war, Seoul rose rapidly from the rubble to become a metropolis of 10 million people, and the government even needed to move out of some departments to ease its population pressure.
#西安 China #
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Xi'an was the first city in Chinese history to be called "Beijing" and has a history of more than 3,100 years. In history, several dynasties have built their capitals here, successively for the Western Zhou, Qin Dynasty, Western Han, Former Zhao, Former Qin, Western Wei, Northern Zhou, Sui Dynasty, Tang Dynasty, etc., which lasted for more than 1,000 years. The main urban area of Xi'an still retains the complete Ming Dynasty city wall and city gates, moats and bridges, corner towers, urns, arrow towers and other facilities, most of which are historical original relics, and a small number of city gates and walls have been repaired by later generations. In the Lintong District, more than 30 kilometers away from the city, there is also the mausoleum of China's first emperor, the mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang. It is the first batch of national key cultural relics protection units. In 1987, UNESCO inscribed the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor and the Terracotta Warriors and Horses Pit on the World Heritage List.
#布达佩斯 Hungary #
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Budapest, the capital of Hungary, was once a city in ancient Rome, Akuncum. It was located on the border of Rome, where in 89 AD a 6,000-man Roman legion was stationed, centered on a fortress, which slowly developed into a city. By 106 AD, it became the capital of the province of Lower Pannonia. As a command center against neighboring Yaski, the Roman Emperor also visited the area. At the end of the 2nd century AD, the city accommodated at least 30,000 inhabitants and covered much of what is now Budapest's Ou old Buda district, where the ruins of the ancient city such as amphitheaters, tombstones and statues can be visited. After the Decline of the Roman Empire, most of the city was destroyed, and it was not until the Hungarians came to settle here that the form eased down. In 1873, Buda and Old Buda on the west bank of the Danube and Pest on the east bank merged to form what is now Budapest.
#大马士革 Syria #
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Founded in the third millennium BC, Damascus is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, once the capital of several dynasties and the intersection of many trade routes, leaving its mark on the history of different periods. In the 12th century BC, the Aramaeans from the Arabian Peninsula set their capital in Damascus, and the water supply system they established was later modified and is still in use today. In addition, the city gates of the Roman Empire and the mosques of the Arab Umayyad dynasty are also important monuments. In 1946, Syria declared its independence and Damascus was officially designated as the country's capital. Under the years of conflict, many buildings have been destroyed and heavy losses have been suffered.
#罗马 Italy #
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As an important source of Mediterranean civilization and the birthplace of ancient Roman civilization, Rome's history is long enough for people, among which the ancient Roman Forum and the Colosseum are world-famous ancient ruins, but in fact the city itself is built on a huge site. In the 12th century BC, after the city of Troy was breached by the Greeks, Aeneas, nephew of King Priamus, went into exile in the Apennine region of Latinum, home to present-day Rome, where he founded the city of Laviny. The city was abandoned 30 years later due to a swollen population, and a new city, Albalonga, was built on the site. The founders of the city of Rome were descendants of the royal family of Albalonga. Thanks to more than 200 years of efforts by archaeologists, visitors can already visit the ruins of the ancient city for themselves.
#里斯本 Portugal #
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Lisbon is one of the oldest cities in Europe and has an even older history before becoming the capital of the Kingdom of Portugal. The Celts first settled here, and then the Phoenicians built cities here. In 205 BC, Lisbon came under the rule of the Roman Republic. Finally, the Moors invaded the Iberian Peninsula and occupied Lisbon. These civilizations have all left a unique mark on the city, but unfortunately, many of the city's ancient ruins no longer exist. In 1755, Lisbon struck the largest magnitude nine earthquake in European history, killing 90,000 people in the city and severely damaging various buildings. Of course, there are still monuments in the city, such as St. George's Castle and Carmo Abbey, which are stubbornly preserved.
#巴塞罗那 Spain #
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Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain and its history dates back more than 2,000 years. At the end of the 1st century BC, the Romans established a colony here, and the walls that guarded the area can still be seen today. Barcelona sits on the plain between the Coiserola Mountains and the Mediterranean Sea, and its easy-to-defend geography has always made it a pivotal position. Archaeological research has shown that although it lacks the theaters, arenas and other buildings that the main cities of Rome have, it can still be called prosperous. By the 2nd century AD, its inhabitants had reached about 5,000 people. In the current city of Barcelona, there are not many relics belonging to that era, and there are still some Corinthian columns in the Temple of Augustus in the Gothic Quarter.
#巴格达 Iraq #
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In 762, the second Abbasid caliph decided to build a new capital. He was actively involved in all aspects of the project, culminating in the construction of Baghdad in 6 years. Also known as the Round City or The City of Peace, the city consists of three perfect circular walls, with the caliphate's residence in the middle, and four gates and a thorough road dividing the city into four districts, each pointing to a different city – Basra, Kufa, Khorasan and Damascus. Religious scholars, astronomers, poets and other people from all walks of life flocked to the Yuancheng, and it soon became a hub for economic, cultural, political, and religious interaction between the East and the West. Today, the ruins of the Round City are gone, and we can only feel its former style from various documents.
#安卡拉 Turkey #
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Ankara is the capital of Turkey, second only to Istanbul in size. Around 300 BC, the Greeks came here and developed it into a trading center. Ankara's original name means "anchor" in Greek and was later slightly modified to be Ankara. During the reign of the Roman Empire, Ankara developed into the capital of the province of Galatia, where about 200,000 inhabitants lived during its prosperity. The city also features a number of Roman-style buildings such as public baths and racecourses. Of particular note is the Temple of Augustus, which was built in 10 AD and underwent another reconstruction in the 2nd century AD. Augustus's will is also inscribed in Greek and Latin on the walls of the temple, which gives the temple a deeper historical significance.
#巴斯 United Kingdom #
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Bath was first built in 43 AD as part of the British province of the Roman Empire. During the Georgian era, Bath became a spa resort, and as a result it began to expand rapidly, leaving behind many stone buildings of that era. Archaeological evidence shows that before the arrival of the Romans, the Celts had set up temples in Bath, and roman thermal baths were built on the original site of the temple. In the 5th century, the Romans withdrew from Great Britain, and the baths were buried in silt due to the loss of maintenance. In the Elizabethan era, Bass, after the renovation, attracted many nobles to come to the area for recuperation. In 1590, Queen Elizabeth I issued a Royal Charter granting Bath a municipal urban unit. In 1987, Bath was designated a World Heritage City, and the city's theatres, museums and baths attract a large number of tourists every year.
#雅典 Greece #
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Athens is the political, economic and cultural center of Greece and one of the oldest cities in the world, known as the "cradle of Western civilization". Since its early form, the Acropolis, was founded, it has never been abandoned. Even after the Hippo-Persian War and the Peloponnesian War, and many later ups and downs, Athens still retains a surprising number of important ancient sites, the most famous of which is the Parthenon. The temple was built in honor of Athena, the patron saint of the city, and is one of the most important ancient Greek buildings in existence. Although the temple roof is now missing, the remaining columns of the temple are still regarded as exemplary.
#维罗纳 Italy #
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Located in northern Italy, Verona is a small town built on the banks of the Adige River in Veneto. Shakespeare's famous work Romeo and Juliet is set in this city, so it is also known as the "City of Love". In addition to reliving Shakespearean classics, visitors can also admire the city's various monuments. Verona has a long history and was inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List in 2000. The city was originally built by the Ewugane people of ancient Italy. In 89 BC, it became a colony of the Roman Empire, and the city's existing Roman Amphitheatre is one of the best preserved in Italy, and large opera performances are held here today.
#贝鲁特 Lebanon #
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As early as the 15th century BC, there are already records of the city. In 140 BC, Theodot Triphon fought with Antiochus VII for the throne of the Seleucid Empire, and Beirut was destroyed. The current city of Beirut, built on top of the old city, has long been an important site for archaeological excavations, attracting archaeologists from all over the world to excavate and study. Not only that, but even the location of government departments in Beirut has a long history. In 1840, the Ottoman Empire built a military base on the hill of Serral in the present-day city center, and after several reconstructions, the Great Serral Palace was finalized. Lebanon's first president after independence housed the presidential palace here.
#开封 China #
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Kaifeng has more than 4,100 years of history of city building and capital construction, including the Xia Dynasty, the State of Wei during the Warring States Period, the Later Liang, the Later Jin Dynasty, the Later Han Dynasty, the Later Zhou Dynasty and the Northern Song Dynasty. Kaifeng is the only capital city in the world whose central axis has never changed, and the ruins of the city stack are extremely rare in the history of world archaeology. History has the saying of "one Suzhou, two Hangzhou, and three Provinces", and Beizhou refers to the ancient capital of Kaifeng. During the Northern Song Dynasty, Kaifeng became the largest city in the world at that time. The city served as the capital of the Song Dynasty for 168 years, and the cultural relics and monuments in it are mainly from the Song Dynasty, but at the same time, there are also remnants of the Yuan, Ming, Qing and early Min dynasties. Today, the area has 8 national 5A and 4A level scenic spots, and 19 national key cultural relics protection units, which is a popular city for people to travel on holidays.
#巴黎 France #
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In 52 BC, the Romans conquered the Paris region. Previously, it was a gaulant settlement. In 358 AD, the Romans began to build palaces here, a year that is considered the beginning of the founding of Paris. The Romans initially named the city Lutetia and renamed it Paris in the fourth century. Until the 19th century, only sporadic clues about the history of Lutesia survived, until Theodore Wacker made an important breakthrough that made the history of the city gradually clear. Like all Roman towns, the streets of Lutetia were grid-shaped, with the city running the rue Saint-Jacques on its north-south axis, which still exists today.
#伊斯坦布尔 Turkey #
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Istanbul is Turkey's largest city with a population of 15 million and has changed its name several times as dynasties have changed. The history of the city began in 660 BC when Greek colonists founded Byzantium here. During the reign of Constantine the Great, he rebuilt the city and named it "New Rome", commonly referred to as Constantinople. As the center of gravity of power shifted eastward, the city also became the center of Greek culture and Christianity. By the time of the Ottoman Empire, it was also known as Constantineyer or Istanbul. At the end of the 1940s, Istanbul underwent great changes, new buildings were erected, and some historical sites were demolished, but the famous Hagia Sophia, Constantinople Arena, etc. were still preserved.
Source: Global Travel Weekly/Ying Xu