The Longest Continuously Inhabited Cities in Asia 0 Asia is the largest and the most populous continent, hosting 60% of the current world population. The whole continent is divided into regions, namely South Asia, East Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. Asia’s diverse regions, groups, religion, history, architecture, and culture could be all jam-packed, but its diversity binds it as a whole continent rich with people, cities and stories that you won’t get bored of. Here’s the list of the longest continuously inhabited cities in Asia with some cool facts about them that you’d want to know: Central and Southern Balkh Photo via: Wallpapers 5 Location: Balkh Province, Afghanistan Continuously Inhabited Since: 1500 BC Cool Fact: The first known disciples of Buddha are said to be from Balkh. Varanasi Photo via: David Lazar Location: Uttar Pradesh, India Continuously Inhabited Since: c. 1200 – 1100 BC Cool Fact: Varanasi is the holiest of the seven sacred cities in Hinduism. Ujjain Photo via: Onlinetourismindia.com Location: India Continuously Inhabited Since: c. 800 BC Cool Fact: Ujjain is one of four cities that hold the Kumbh Mela, a Hindu pilgrimage which is said to be the largest peaceful gathering in the world. Samarqand Photo via: Atlanta Travel Location: Uzbekistan Continuously Inhabited Since: 700 BC Cool Fact: Samarqand is located in the center of the Silk Road. Rajgir Photo via: Indian Travels Location: Bihar, India Continuously Inhabited Since: 600 BC Cool Fact: Rajgir is known as one of Buddha’s favorite places. Madurai Photo via: TravelGujju Location: Tamil Nadu, India Continuously Inhabited Since: 500 BC Cool Fact: The Tamil language, one of the longest surviving classical languages in the world, is an official language of the region. Vaishali Photo via: Aniccasight Location: Bihar, India Continuously Inhabited Since: 500 BC Cool Fact: Vaishali is said to be the world’s first republic. Patna Photo via: HolidayIQ.com Location: Bihar, India Continuously Inhabited Since: 5th century, BC Cool Fact: The last Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh, was born in Patna. Peshawar Photo via: Asia Society Location: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan Continuously Inhabited Since: c. 400 – 300 BC Cool Fact: Peshawar is very ethnically and linguistically diverse, due to its location at the meeting point of Central Asia and South Asia. Mahasthangarh Photo via: Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation Location: Bogra District, Bangladesh Continuously Inhabited Since: 4th century BC Cool Fact: The center of the city contains an ancient citadel that housed many structures, including several palaces and gateways. Thanjavur Photo via: mugup.info Location: Tamil Nadu, India Continuously Inhabited Since: 300 BC Cool Fact: Thanjavur’s name is said to originate from the name of a Hindu mythological demon. Bamyan Photo via: Wikipedia Location: Bamyan Province, Afghanistan Continuously Inhabited Since: 1st century AD Cool Fact: The city is surrounded by cliffs where Buddha was carved into the rock in many places. Kathmandu Photo via: Manaslu Mountain Trail 2014 Location: Kathmandu Valley, Nepal Continuously Inhabited Since: c. 2nd century AD Cool Fact: The first college in Nepal and the first hospital in Nepal were both built in Kathmandu. Eastern Luoyang Photo via: TrekEarth Location: Henan, China Continuously Inhabited Since: c. 2070 BC Cool Fact: Luoyang is one of the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China. Xi’an Photo via: Freemages Location: Shaanxi, China Continuously Inhabited Since: c. 1100 BC Cool Fact: Xi’an is located at the very beginning of the Silk Road. Beijing Photo via: Travelex Location: Beijing, China Continuously Inhabited Since: c. 1045 BC Cool Fact: Archeologists have found Homo erectus remains from hundreds of thousands of years ago in the Beijing area. Suzhou Photo via: Chris Putro Location: Jiangsu, China Continuously Inhabited Since: 514 BC Cool Fact: The many classical gardens, temples, canals, pagodas, and bridges make Suzhou stand out as a popular tourist city in China and have given it the nickname “Venice of China.” Chengdu Photo via: UNESCO Location: Sichuan, China Continuously Inhabited Since: c. 400 BC Cool Fact: Some people call Chengdu the “Turtle City” because a local legend says that the city’s borders were created by following the path of a turtle. Nanjing Photo via: Wikimedia Location: Jiangsu, China Continuously Inhabited Since: c. 495 BC Cool Fact: Nanjing served as the capital of China for certain periods of time. Kaifeng Photo via: Top China Travel Location: Henan, China Continuously Inhabited Since: c. 364 BC Cool Fact: The oldest landmark in Kaifeng is the Iron Pagoda, a towering brick structure that looks like the color of iron dating back to 1049, during the Song Dynasty. Guangzhou Photo via: Astute Location: Guangdong, China Continuously Inhabited Since: 214 BC Cool Fact: Guangzhou was known by its English name, Canton, until about 1949. Hangzhou Photo via: Travel Destination Location: Zhejiang, China Continuously Inhabited Since: c. 200 BC Cool Fact: The beautiful scenery of Hangzhou’s West Lake—surrounded by temples, pagodas, and gardens—has been the subject of many Chinese poems and paintings. Pyongyang Photo via: Howard Ecker + Company Location: North Korea Continuously Inhabited Since: 194 BC Cool Fact: The tallest building in Pyongyang is an unfinished hotel that has been under construction since 1987. Gyeongju Photo via: Trip Scout Location: South Korea Continuously Inhabited Since: 57 BC Cool Fact: Gyeongju is basically an open air museum, with four UNESCO World Heritage Sites and many other historical landmarks within its limits. Seoul Photo by: David via Flickr Location: South Korea Continuously Inhabited Since: 18 BC Cool Fact: The metropolitan area of Seoul contains over half of South Korea’s residents, with a population of over 25.6 million people. Osaka Photo via: Food, Booze and Shoes Location: Japan Continuously Inhabited Since: c. 400 AD Cool Fact: Osaka is most well-known for its food by both locals and foreigners. Nara Photo via: Tropical Island Location: Japan Continuously Inhabited Since: 710 AD Cool Fact: Deer are venerated by the locals, who believe them to be the protectors of the city. Kyoto Photo via: Kyoto Travel Guide Location: Japan Continuously Inhabited Since: 794 AD Cool Fact: The Kyoto Protocol is an international agreement to reduce carbon emissions and sets limits on the emission of greenhouse gases, adopted in Kyoto in 1997. [AdsWithin] Southeastern Hanoi Photo via: Vietnam Travel and Living Guide Location: Vietnam Continuously Inhabited Since: 454 AD Cool Fact: The 4 kilometer long Hanoi Ceramic Mosaic Mural was created as a monument to celebrate the Millennial Anniversary of Hanoi. Palembang Photo via: DS World’s Lands Location: Indonesia Continuously Inhabited Since: c. 600 AD Cool Fact: Palembang was the capital of the influential Kingdom of Srivijaya, which dates back to the 7th century. Luang Prabang Photo via: 1001 Scribbles Location: Laos Continuously Inhabited Since: 698 AD Cool Fact: Luang Prabang has many natural attractions, including the Kuang Si Falls, the Tat Sae Waterfalls, and the Pak Ou Caves. Siem Reap Photo via: News.com.au Location: Cambodia Continuously Inhabited Since: 801 AD Cool Fact: This year, travelers ranked Siem Reap as the world’s fourth best city for tourists in TripAdvisor’s Travelers’ Choice Awards. Bagan Photo via: Hey Brian Location: Myanmar Continuously Inhabited Since: 849 AD Cool Fact: The remains of over 2,000 ancient Buddhist temples, pagodas, and monasteries still exist in Bagan today. Manila Photo via: My Dreamscape Life Location: Philippines Continuously Inhabited Since: 900 AD Cool Fact: Manila is quite possibly the most densely populated city in the world, with almost 43,000 people per square kilometer. Bandar Seri Begawan Photo via: ztopics Location: Brunei Continuously Inhabited Since: 977 AD Cool Fact: As a city with a tropical rainforest climate, Bandar Seri Begawan doesn’t really have a dry season. Butuan Photo via: ztopics Location: Philippines Continuously Inhabited Since: 1001 AD Cool Fact: Butuan was already a well-developed city way before the Spaniards colonized it in the 1500s. Kediri Photo via: Warung Miliader Location: Indonesia Continuously Inhabited Since: 1042 AD Cool Fact: Kediri’s economy is based on the tobacco industry. Singapore Photo via: USC Marshall Location: Singapore Continuously Inhabited Since: 1170 AD Cool Fact: Singapore was under British control until it declared independence from the UK in 1963. Western Byblos Photo via: Lebanon Tours Location: Lebanon Continuously Inhabited Since: 5000 BC or earlier Cool Fact: A champion among this list, Byblos is considered to be the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world and the first city in Phoenicia. Aleppo Photo via: Focus on Syria Location: Syria Continuously Inhabited Since: 4300 BC or earlier Cool Fact: The old city is characterized by independent walled-in districts that were created to defend against constant invasions. Damascus Photo via: Goista.com Location: Syria Continuously Inhabited Since: 4000 BC or earlier Cool Fact: Damascus was conquered by Alexander the Great in the 4th century BC. Susa Photo via: Livius Location: Iran Continuously Inhabited Since: 4200 BC Cool Fact: Susa has been destroyed at least three times since its establishment: by Assyrian king Ashurbanipal in 647 BC, by Muslim armies in 638 AD, and by Mongols in 1218 AD. Sidon Photo via: Wikipedia Location: Lebanon Continuously Inhabited Since: 4000 BC Cool Fact: Many Palestinians fled to Sidon during the Palestinian exodus in 1948, setting up refugee camps that turned into neighborhoods. Gaziantep Photo by: Bahadir Sari via Panoramio Location: Southeastern Anatolia, Turkey Continuously Inhabited Since: c. 3650 BC Cool Fact: Gaziantep is famous for its pistachios, being the leading producer of pistachios in Turkey. Jericho Photo via: A Nabulsi Story Location: West Bank Continuously Inhabited Since: 3000 BC or earlier Cool Fact: Evidence of the first settlement in Jericho dates back to 9000 BC. Rey Photo by: Ahmad Khamehyar via Panoramio Location: Iran Continuously Inhabited Since: 3000 BC Cool Fact: Rey has a few historical monuments that are thousands of years old, including a castle and a tomb. Beirut Photo via: Layover Guide Location: Lebanon Continuously Inhabited Since: 3000 BC Cool Fact: The exact population of Beirut is unknown because there hasn’t been a population census in Lebanon since 1932, but it could be anywhere between 900,000 and 2,000,000. Jerusalem Photo via: Museum of Science Location: West Bank Continuously Inhabited Since: 2800 BC Cool Fact: The walled, 0.9 square kilometer Old City of Jerusalem used to be the entire city, until 1860. Tyre Photo by: ceddarick via Panoramio Location: Lebanon Continuously Inhabited Since: 2750 BC Cool Fact: One of five ancient roman hippodromes, or horse and chariot racing stadiums, is located in Tyre. Jenin Photo via: Looklex Encyclopaedia Location: West Bank Continuously Inhabited Since: c. 2450 BC Cool Fact: Jenin is home to the orchestra Strings of Freedom, which was created to provide music education to local youth. Erbil Photo via: DS World’s Lands Location: Iraqi Kurdistan, Iraq Continuously Inhabited Since: 2300 BC or earlier Cool Fact: Arbil is located on a tell, which is a mound of earth that gradually forms over time after many, many years of living and rebuilding on the area. Kirkuk Photo via: DS World’s Lands Location: Kirkuk Governorate, Iraq Continuously Inhabited Since: 3000 – 2200 BC Cool Fact: The city is quite ethnically diverse, with Kurds, Turkmen, Assyrians, and Arabs all claiming the region as their own. Jaffa Photo via: Yoninja.com Location: Israel Continuously Inhabited Since: c. 2000 BC Cool Fact: Many biblical stories, including those of Solomon, Jonah, and Saint Peter, mention or took place in Jaffa. Hebron Photo via: DS World’s Lands Location: West Bank Continuously Inhabited Since: c. 1500 BC Cool Fact: Jews consider Hebron to be the second holiest city after Jerusalem. Gaza Photo via: Norman G. Finkelstein Location: Gaza Strip Continuously Inhabited Since: c. 1000 BC Cool Fact: Seventy-five percent of Gaza’s population is under the age of 25. Hamadan Photo by: Nicola e Pina Iran 2008 via Panoramio Location: Iran Continuously Inhabited Since: c. 800 BC Cool Fact: Avicenna, a significant scientist during the Islamic Golden Age, is buried in Hamadan. Nablus Photo via: Goista.com Location: West Bank Continuously Inhabited Since: c. 100 AD Cool Fact: Nablus is known for the dessert kanafeh, a cheese pastry popular in the Middle East. Amman Photo via: Lonely Planet Location: Jordan Continuously Inhabited Since: uncertain Cool Fact: There are at least 20 universities and higher education centers in Amman.