Old Russian city: description, features. Old Russian cities: names

The ancient city and its inhabitants Art and artistic work Grade 4 Teacher: Vlasova Svetlana Vasilievna GOU Secondary School No. 639 St. Petersburg Goals and objectives -To introduce students to the organization of the internal space of the city; -Give an idea of ​​the architecture of the Kremlin, shopping area and posad. -Improve paper design skills; -Develop compositional thinking; -Cultivate interest in the culture and history of the Russian people. A.M. Vasnetsov “The Kremlin under Dmitry Donskoy” “Novgorod bargaining” A.M. Vasnetsov A.M. Vasnetsov “Foundation of Moscow” A.M. Vasnetsov “Ancient Russian city” Kitai-gorod street in Moscow, 17th century. Defense of the city of Moscow under Ivan the Terrible Moscow Kremlin under Ivan 3 Moscow Kremlin under Ivan Kalita A.M. Vasnetsov “Book shops on Spassky Bridge” N.K. Roerich “The Messenger” N.K. Roerich “The Messenger”, 1897 This painting is N .K. Roerich presented at the final exam of the Academy of Arts. “The Messenger” is the first painting from the “Slavs” series, written on the plot of ancient Russian history: a messenger in a boat hurries to a remote settlement with important news that generation after generation has risen. The picture takes the imagination back to ancient times. The artist found the theme in “The Tale of Fiery Years” - the first Russian chronicle compiled in the 12th century by the monk of the Kiev-Pechersk Monastery Nestor. In this canvas, Roerich takes us into the past. The dark greenish river is the river of life, covered in the damp evening air after sunset. The river is the only road. Against the backdrop of a stern sky there is a pile of some buildings, primitive in shape, some kind of fortress, “a fortification, which the tightly moving human mind-calculation is still creating with difficulty. And right there on the palisade, on the tine - the primitives of the human and animal world of the skull , skeletons. This is a diagram of the foundations of life, its harsh geometry. Here are the people of those centuries - wary figures, a sword at the hip. They slide in a boot, hollowed out of wood, in the primitiveness of human river work. In the picture, precise archaeographic details are strung on a thread of the most authentic kind. life. N.K. Roerich “The Messenger”, 1897 The first painting - and the first major success. It became a real sensation, amazed, amazed with the accuracy of the psychological vision of time, the alarming intensity of the colors. The painting not only made a name for the beginning artist, but also became a phenomenon. in Russian painting of those years. The landscape in it can be compared with the “moods” that captivated Levitan, Serov and other artists at that time. At the same time, the imperious tread of the New Epoch was already heard here. N.K. Roerich sought first of all to convey a holistic idea of ​​the Epoch, a certain historical mood. The picture is small, there is no known historical fact in it. But this is a historical work dedicated to a distant era. The artist tells about the life of the ancient Slavs, about their troubled everyday life. In the combination of elements of different genres - everyday life and landscape - Roerich conveys the spirit of the past. With this he approved a new type of historical compositions. The picture attracted everyone's attention and was highly appreciated. For this painting, Roerich was awarded the title of artist. P. Tretyakov wanted to acquire the entire planned series “Slavs”, but did not have time, and after Tretyakov’s death the paintings were dispersed to different places. N.K. Roerich “Messenger”, 1897 Roerich heard many reviews. They admired the unexpected glow of colors, and the young artist was declared the founder of the historical landscape. At the same time, N.K. Roerich, together with Rimsky-Korsakov and the sculptor Ginsburg, went to see L.N. Tolstoy. Roerich brought a photocopy of "The Messenger". As expected by Stasov, who sent the artist to the great writer, Tolstoy saw what others did not see. He really understood the message the messenger was rushing with. Lev Nikolaevich said: “Have you ever crossed a fast river in a boat? You must always steer higher than where you want it to go, otherwise it will blow away. Let your messenger hold the rudder very high, then he will swim.” These words will go to the very depths of the artist’s heart. Many years later, when Roerich would be a world-famous artist, they will be resurrected in his letter to an aspiring painter: “Be simpler and love nature. Simpler, simpler. You do not create because need forced you. Sing like a free bird, you can’t help but sing . Remember, the lark is ringing above the fields in the spring! Steer higher! "Date 1897) Homework Find and select illustrations depicting the ancient city. Prepare a story about ancient Russian cities.

During the development of civilization, people united their scattered homes. This is how cities appeared. History has erected great settlements and just as mercilessly wiped them off the face of the Earth. Only a few cities were able to pass through the centuries, enduring all the blows of fate. The walls have stood in the sun and rain, they have seen eras come and go.

These cities became silent witnesses to how our civilization was revived and fell into decay. Today, not all the great cities of the past continue to provide shelter to people; many simply lie in ruins or have completely disappeared from the face of the Earth.

The British newspaper The Guardian selected 15 of the most ancient cities in the world, each of which has its own unique architecture and unusual history. These places have such an ancient history that only approximate dates can be given; historians are debating around them. So where does a person live continuously the longest?

Jericho, Palestinian Territories. This settlement appeared here 11 thousand years ago. This is the oldest residential city in the world, which was repeatedly mentioned in the Bible. Jericho is also known in ancient texts as the “city of palm trees.” Archaeologists found here the remains of 20 consecutive settlements, which made it possible to determine the venerable age of the city. The city is located near the Jordan River, on the western bank. Even today, about 20 thousand people live here. And the ruins of ancient Jericho are located west of the center of the modern city. Archaeologists were able to discover here the remains of a large tower from the pre-ceramic Neolithic period (8400-7300 BC). Jericho contains burials from the Chalcolithic period and city walls dating back to the Bronze Age. Perhaps they were the ones who fell to the loud trumpets of the Israelites, giving rise to the phrase “the trumpets of Jericho.” In the city you can find the ruins of the winter palace-residence of King Herod the Great with swimming pools, baths, and lavishly decorated halls. The mosaic on the floor of the synagogue, dating back to the 5th-6th centuries, has also been preserved here. And at the foot of the Tel al-Sultan hill is the source of the prophet Elisha. Historians believe that the neighboring hills of Jericho hide many archaeological treasures comparable to the Valley of the Kings in Egypt.

Byblos, Lebanon. The settlement in this place is about 7 thousand years old. The city of Gebal, mentioned in the Bible, was founded by the Phoenicians. He received his other name, Byblos (Byblos), from the Greeks. The fact is that the city supplied them with papyrus, which was called “byblos” in Greek. The city has been known since the 4th millennium BC. Byblos became famous for its temples of Baal; the cult of the god Adonis originated here. It was from here that it spread to Greece. The ancient Egyptians wrote that it was in this city that Isis found the body of Osiris in a wooden box. The main tourist attractions of the city are the ancient Phoenician temples, the temple of St. John the Baptist, built by the crusaders in the 12th century, the city castle and the remains of the city wall. Now here, 32 kilometers from Beirut, is the Arab city of Jebeil.

Aleppo, Syria. Archaeologists believe that people settled here in 4300 BC. Today this city is the most populous in Syria, with a population approaching 4 million. It was formerly known as Halpe or Khalibon. For many centuries, Aleppo was the third largest city in the Ottoman Empire, second only to Constantinople and Cairo. The origin of the city's name is not entirely clear. Presumably "haleb" means copper or iron. The fact is that in ancient times there was a large center for their production here. In Aramaic, "halaba" means "white", which refers to the color of the soil in the area and the abundance of marble rocks. And Aleppo received its current name from the Italians who visited here during the Crusades. Ancient Aleppo is evidenced by Hittite inscriptions, Mari inscriptions in the Euphrates, in central Anatolia and in the city of Ebla. These ancient texts speak of the city as an important military and commercial center. For the Hittites, Aleppo had special significance, as it was the center of worship of the weather god. Economically, the city has always been an important place. The Great Silk Road passed here. Aleppo has always been a tasty morsel for invaders - it belonged to the Greeks, Persians, Assyrians, Romans, Arabs, Turks and even the Mongols. It was here that the great Tamerlane ordered the erection of a tower of 20 thousand skulls. With the opening of the Suez Canal, Aleppo's role as a commercial center became smaller. The city is currently undergoing a renaissance and is one of the most beautiful places in the Middle East.

Damascus, Syria. Many people think so. That Damascus is worthy of the title of the oldest city in the world. Although there is an opinion that people lived here 12 thousand years ago, another date of settlement seems more truthful - 4300 BC. The medieval Arab historian Ibn Asakir in XII argued that after the Flood, the first wall erected was the Damascus Wall. He attributed the very birth of the city to the 4th millennium BC. The first historical evidence about Damascus dates back to the 15th century BC. Then the city was under the rule of Egypt and its pharaohs. Later, Damascus was part of Assyria, the Neo-Babylonian kingdom, Persia, the empire of Alexander the Great, and after his death, part of the Hellenistic kingdom of the Seleucids. The city flourished during the Aramaic era. They created a whole network of water canals in the city, which today form the basis of modern water supply networks in Damascus. The urban agglomeration today numbers 2.5 million people. In 2008, Damascus was recognized as the cultural capital of the Arab world.

Susa, Iran. The settlement in this place is already 6200 years old. And the first traces of humans in Susa date back to 7000 BC. The city is located on the territory of the modern Khuzestan province in Iran. Susa entered history as the capital of the ancient state of Elam. The Sumerians wrote about the city in their early documents. Thus, the works “Enmerkar and the Ruler of Aratta” say that Susa was dedicated to the deity Inanna, the patroness of Uruk. There are repeated mentions of the ancient city in the Old Testament, its name appears especially often in the Scriptures. The prophets Daniel and Nehemiah lived here during the Babylonian captivity in the 6th century BC; Esther became queen in the city and saved her from persecution by the Jews. The Elamite state ceased to exist with the victories of Ashurbanipal, Susa itself was plundered, which was not the first time that happened. The son of Cyrus the Great made Susa the capital of the Persian kingdom. However, this state also ceased to exist, thanks to Alexander the Great. The city has lost its former significance. Susa was later destroyed by Muslims and Mongols, as a result of which life barely glimmered in it. Today the city is called Shusha, about 65 thousand people live in it.

Faiyum, Egypt. This city has a history of 6 thousand years. It is located southwest of Cairo, in the oasis of the same name, occupying part of Crocodilopolis. At this ancient site, the Egyptians worshiped the sacred Sobek, the crocodile god. The pharaohs of the 12th dynasty loved to visit Fayyum, then the city was called Shedit. This fact follows from the remains of burial pyramids and temples found by Flinders Petrie. In Fayoum there was the same famous Labyrinth that Herodotus described. In general, quite a lot of archaeological finds have been found in this area. But world fame went to the Fayum drawings. They were made using the enacoustic technique and were funerary portraits from the times of Roman Egypt. Currently, the population of the city of Al-Fayoum is more than 300 thousand people.

Sidon, Lebanon. People founded their first settlement here in 4000 BC. Sidon is located 25 kilometers south of Beirut on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. This city was one of the most significant and oldest Phoenician cities. It was he who was the heart of that empire. In the X-IX centuries BC. Sidon was the largest trading center of that world. In the Bible he was called the “firstborn of Canaan,” the brother of an Amorite and a Hittite. It is believed that both Jesus and the Apostle Paul visited Sidon. And in 333 BC. the city was captured by Alexander the Great. Today the city is called Saida and is home to Shiite and Sunni Muslims. It is the third largest city in Lebanon with a population of 200 thousand people.

Plovdiv, Bulgaria. This city also arose 4 thousand years BC. Today it is the second largest in Bulgaria and one of the oldest in Europe. Even Athens, Rome, Carthage and Constantinople are younger than Plovdiv. The Roman historian Ammianus Marcellinus said that the first name for this settlement was given by the Thracians - Eumolpiada. In 342 BC. The city was conquered by Philip II of Macedon, the father of the legendary conqueror. The king named the settlement Philippopolis in honor of himself, but the Thracians pronounced this word as Pulpudeva. From the 6th century, the city began to be controlled by Slavic tribes. In 815 it became part of the First Bulgarian Kingdom under the name Pyldin. For the next few centuries, these lands passed from hand to hand from the Bulgarians to the Byzantines, until the Ottoman Turks captured it for a long time. Four times the crusaders came to Plovdiv and plundered the city. Currently, the city is an important cultural center. There are many ruins here that testify to its rich history. The Roman aqueduct and amphitheater, as well as the Ottoman baths, stand out here. About 370 thousand people now live in Plovdiv.

Gaziantep, Türkiye. This settlement appeared around 3650 BC. It is located in the south of Turkey, near the Syrian border. Gaziantep dates back to the times of the Hittites. Until February 1921, the city was called Antep, and the Turkish parliament gave the prefix gazi to the residents for their services during the battles for the country's independence. Today more than 800 thousand people live here. Gaziantep is among the most important ancient centers in southeastern Anatolia. This city lies between the Mediterranean Sea and Mesopotamia. Here the roads between the south, north, west and east intersected, and the Great Silk Road passed through. To this day, in Gaziantep you can find historical relics from the times of the Assyrians, Hittites, and the era of Alexander the Great. With the rise of the Ottoman Empire, the city experienced times of prosperity.

Beirut, Lebanon. People began to live in Beirut 3 thousand years before the birth of Christ. Today this city is the capital of Lebanon, the economic, cultural and administrative center of the country. And the Phoenicians founded Lebanon, choosing rocky land in the middle of the Mediterranean coast of the modern territory of Lebanon. It is believed that the name of the city comes from the word "birot", meaning "well". For a long time, Beirut remained in the background in the region, behind its more significant neighbors - Tire and Sidon. It was only during the Roman Empire that the city became influential. There was a famous school of law here, which developed the main postulates of the Justinian Code. Over time, this document will become the basis of the European legal system. In 635, Beirut was occupied by the Arabs, incorporating the city into the Arab Caliphate. In 1100 the city was captured by the Crusaders, and in 1516 by the Turks. Until 1918, Beirut was part of the Ottoman Empire. In the last century, the city with a proud history has become an important cultural, financial and intellectual center in the Eastern Mediterranean. And since 1941, Beirut became the capital of a new independent state - the Lebanese Republic.

Jerusalem, Israel/Palestinian Territories. This great city without a doubt was founded in 2800 BC. Jerusalem was able to become both the spiritual center of the Jewish people and the third holy city of Islam. The city has a large number of important religious sites, including the Western Wall, the Dome of the Rock, and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher al-Aqsa. It is not surprising that there were constant attempts to conquer Jerusalem. As a result, the history of the city includes 23 sieges and 52 attacks. It was captured 44 times and destroyed 2 times. The ancient city lies on the watershed between the Dead Sea and the Mediterranean, in the spurs of the Judean Mountains at an altitude of 650-840 meters above sea level. The first settlements in this area date back to the 4th millennium BC. The Old Testament speaks of Jerusalem as the capital of the Jebusites. This population lived in Judea even before the Jews. It was they who founded the city, settling it initially. There is also a mention of Jerusalem on Egyptian figurines of the 20th-19th centuries BC. There, among the curses against hostile cities, Rushalimum was mentioned. In the 11th century BC. Jerusalem was occupied by the Jews, who proclaimed it the capital of the Kingdom of Israel, and from the 10th century BC. - Jewish. After 400 years, the city was captured by Babylon, then it was ruled by the Persian Empire. Jerusalem changed owners many times - these were the Romans, Arabs, Egyptians, and Crusaders. From 1517 to 1917, the city was part of the Ottoman Empire, after which it came under the jurisdiction of Great Britain. Now Jerusalem, with a population of 800 thousand people, is the capital of Israel.

Tire, Lebanon. This city was founded in 2750 BC. Tire was a famous Phoenician city and a major trading center. The date of its foundation was named by Herodotus himself. And there was a settlement on the territory of modern Lebanon. In 332 BC. Tire was taken by the troops of Alexander the Great, which required a seven-month siege. From 64 BC Tire became a Roman province. It is believed that the Apostle Paul lived here for some time. In the Middle Ages, Tire became known as one of the most impregnable fortresses in the Middle East. It was in this city that Frederick Barbarossa, King of Germany and Holy Roman Emperor, was buried in 1190. Now on the site of the great ancient settlement stands the small town of Sur. It no longer has much significance; trade began to be conducted through Beirut.

Erbil, Iraq. This settlement is already 4300 years old. It is located north of the Iraqi city of Kirkuk. Erbil is the capital of the Iraqi unrecognized state of Kurdistan. Throughout its history, this city belonged to different peoples - Assyrians, Persians, Sasanians, Arabs and Turks. Archaeological research has confirmed that people have lived in this area without interruption for more than 6 thousand years. This is most eloquently evidenced by the Citadel Hill. It represents the remains of former settlements. There was a wall around it, which was created in pre-Islamic times. When Erbil was under Persian rule, Greek sources called it Hawler or Arbela. The Royal Road passed through it, which went from the very center of the Persian center to the coast of the Aegean Sea. Erbil was also a transit point on the Great Silk Road. To this day, the ancient city citadel, 26 meters high, is visible from afar.

Kirkuk, Iraq. This city appeared in 2200 BC. It is located 250 kilometers north of Baghdad. Kirkuk is located on the site of the ancient Hurrian and Assyrian capital of Arrapha. The city had an important strategic position, so three empires fought for it at once - Babylon, Assyria and Media. It was they who shared control of Kirkuk for a long time. Even today there are still ruins here that are 4 thousand years old. The modern city, thanks to its proximity to the richest field, has become the oil capital of Iraq. About a million people live here today.

Balkh, Afghanistan. This ancient city appeared around the 15th century BC. Balkh became the first large settlement that the Indo-Aryans created during their transition from the Amu Darya. This city became a large and traditional center of Zoroastrianism; it is believed that Zarathustra was born here. In late antiquity, Balkh became an important center of Hinayana. Historians said that in the 7th century there were more than a hundred Buddhist monasteries in the city, with 30 thousand monks living in them alone. The largest temple was Navbahar, its name translated from Sanskrit means “new monastery”. There was a huge Buddha statue there. In 645 the city was first captured by the Arabs. However, after the robbery they left Balkh. In 715, the Arabs returned here, having settled in the city for a long time. The further history of Balkh saw the arrival of the Mongols and Timur, however, even Marco Polo, describing the city, called it “great and worthy.” In the 16th-19th centuries, the Persians, the Bukhara Khanate and the Afghans fought for Balkh. The bloody wars ended only with the city coming under the rule of the Afghan Emir in 1850. Today this place is considered the center of the cotton industry; leather is well tanned here, producing “Persian sheepskin.” And 77 thousand people live in the city.

Rome is a special page in the history of civilization. This eternal city and its inhabitants gave the world much of what people still use today. What was this city like in its heyday?

Attention to the essentials

During the Republic of Ancient Rome, income from conquests was directed to the needs of the city: it was provided with everything that was needed. First of all, of course, water. River water was unsuitable for drinking, and there was often not enough of it, so the city was provided with spring water from the Albanian mountains: this required the construction of bridges and tens of kilometers of pipes, but the residents were always provided with drinking water. Ordinary citizens took water from pools, fountains and pumps; the houses of the rich were provided with it separately. Wealthy Romans did not save water at all - their houses had their own swimming pools.

One of the centers of the cultural life of the city were the baths - they not only washed there, but also spent time in the library and museum, which were an obligatory part of the large building. There was also a kind of gym there.

Rice. 1. Roman baths.

Even rich houses did not have their own toilets; everyone used public ones, and each of them had warm water.

Great buildings of Ancient Rome

The center of all city life was the forum. The first of those that was built in the city is called Roman. The most magnificent building in this part of the capital was the Temple of Saturn. The Temple of the Goddess Vesta is also a beautiful building, but there is also a legend associated with it: the Romans believed that if the fire that burned there went out, various misfortunes would befall their city. So he was constantly supported.

Rice. 2. Roman Forum.

During the reign of the emperors, the Forum was also decorated with columns: each ruler had his own. The column was crowned with a huge statue, and bas-reliefs were carved on the pillar itself so that the people would know about the deeds of their ruler.

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During the heyday of Rome, the Colosseum was the most popular place among both wealthy citizens and ordinary residents. There was little entertainment then, so everyone enjoyed watching the bloody gladiator fights. Everyone also enjoyed visiting the circus, where they could watch the chariot races - serious passions ran high in this place.

Rice. 3. Colosseum.

Another visited building in Rome was the Theater of Pompey. Its building was erected in 55 BC. This grandiose structure is designed for 27 thousand spectators. The Theater of Marcellus, also beautiful from an architectural point of view, could accommodate “only” 10 thousand people.

And, of course, one of the most famous Roman buildings is the temple of all gods - the Pantheon. Crowned with a dome, with a huge hall inside, it amazed with its grandeur.

What have we learned?

The Romans were very clean - there was always water in the city, which all residents used. They visited the baths; Public toilets were built in the city. The townspeople, as described in the 5th grade textbook, paid great attention to spectacles: they visited theaters, the Colosseum and the circus. Accordingly, these buildings were the largest in the city. Rome was also famous for its temples and Forum.

The oldest cities in the world still exist today. These settlements have passed what is called the test of time.

History can be surprisingly unpredictable, but some of its monuments have been unshakable for several thousand years. Here is a list of the most ancient cities in the world that did not fall into decay and were not lost over the years, but were constantly inhabited by people. Find out which cities of the East, Europe and Asia are not only considered the oldest, but are still inhabited! You might also be interested in which civilization is considered the most ancient.

The most ancient cities of East Asia

Beijing

The ancient name of the current capital of China is Ji. The city, founded in 1045 BC, was the capital of the feudal principality of Yan for almost two thousand years, until in 938 AD. the Liao dynasty did not make it the second capital of Northern China. Beijing (also called Beijing and, subsequently, Beiping) was the most important state center in the Jin, Yuan, Ming and Qing eras, and retained this status after the formation of New China. By the way, it was in the vicinity of Beijing that the remains of Sinanthropus, the so-called “Beijing man,” whose age dates back to approximately 600 thousand years, were found.

Sian

For 3,100 years, Xi'an (ancient names - Haojin, Chan-An), the most ancient city in China currently inhabited, was the capital of ten major dynasties. The major cultural and political center was also famous for its production of bronze objects; some products have survived to this day and are now exhibited in local museums. The Tang Dynasty died out in 907, after which the city slowly declined. Subsequently, he played an important role in the development of state trade, but never returned to its former greatness.

The most ancient cities of the Middle East

Balkh

This city, located in modern Afghanistan, is often called the cradle of three religions: Zoroastrianism, Judaism and Buddhism. Balkh is considered to be the birthplace of Zarathustra, the founder of Zoroastrianism - the most ancient religion in the world known to man.

Luxor

Approximately XXII-XX centuries BC. Luxor was the capital of Waset (the fourth nome of Ancient Egypt), then became the main city of the entire kingdom of Egypt and remained so until the 10th century BC. It is also known to historians under the Greek name Thebes.

El Fayoum

Another ancient Egyptian city appeared on the world map in the 4th millennium BC. Faiyum is located southwest of Cairo, on the territory of ancient Crocodilopolis. This unusual name for the settlement is in honor of the cult of the sacred crocodile Petsuhos, which was worshiped by the locals. Now the city is quite modern, here you can visit large bazaars, mosques, baths, as well as the pyramids of Hawara and Lekhin.

The most ancient cities in Europe

Athens

The exact date of the founding of Athens is unknown. Written sources indicate that the states of the Ancient World knew about the existence of a settlement on the site of modern Athens already in 9600 BC. However, the city itself, which is rightly called the cradle of Greek culture, arose only in the middle of the 2nd millennium BC.

Agros

The founding date of the city of Agros (Peloponnese) is conventionally considered to be 2000 BC. – the first evidence of its existence found by archaeologists dates back to this period. Perhaps his story goes back much deeper. According to the ancient Greek epic, Agros was adjacent to Mycenae and Tiryns, now in ruins.

Mantua

Mantua is a small city in the Lombardy region, founded by the Etruscans and Gauls. For most of its history, Mantua was located on an island on the Mincio River. Subsequently, already in the Middle Ages, residents blocked the channel and turned the island into a peninsula. As a result, the city was surrounded by lakes on three sides. By the way, the ancient Roman poet Virgil was born in the vicinity of Mantua.

Plovdiv

The most ancient city in Europe is located in a picturesque place in southern Bulgaria, on the coast of the Maritsa River. Like Rome, it was built on seven hills - three of which can still be clearly distinguished today. Plovdiv was originally a small village called Tratian, which later became a major center of the Roman Empire. Before becoming part of Bulgaria, Plovdiv was also under the rule of Byzantium and the Ottoman Empire. Modern Plovdiv is a thriving city with a rich cultural and social life.

The most ancient cities of the Middle East

Bible

Once upon a time, on the site of modern Jebeil stood the ancient city of Byblos - the heart of all Mediterranean navigation, the largest exporter of papyrus to Hellas. In the sixth millennium BC, these places were chosen by nomadic tribes who made a living by fishing. After a couple of thousand years, the settlement, nicknamed by the inhabitants of Gubla, was overgrown with stone walls, and its inhabitants continued the traditions of their ancestors and turned the city into a prosperous harbor. In the 3rd millennium BC. Gubla passed into the possession of the Phoenicians - the sea people were attracted by its convenient location and developed water infrastructure. In the second millennium BC, the city acquired its own written language, which significantly increased its prosperity, which was entirely dependent on trade. And a little later he became the main exporter of papyrus to Greece. Papyrus in ancient Greek was known precisely as “byblos,” and the city, accordingly, began to be called the same.

Jericho

Jericho (meaning a settlement with fortified walls) is considered the most ancient city in the world. Although the first human settlements arose here, on the west bank of the Jordan, back in the 8th millennium BC. The powerful walls of the Tower of Jericho still remind us of those times. According to biblical legend, the walls of this city fell in time immemorial from the sounds of Joshua's trumpet. During excavations, which began in earnest in the middle of the 20th century, archaeologists discovered as many as forty so-called “cultural layers” under these lands!

You can also find out about the most ancient city in Russia, its history and location on our website.
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