4个最古老的持续有人居住的城市

4个最古老的持续有人居住的城市

Cities that have stood the test of time reveal more than just the scars of history; they show the influence — positive and negative — of human civilization. The world's oldest cities boast beautiful architecture and amazing stories, yet remarkably few ancient cities stand today. There is some disagreement about the historical record, so we've added a few cities to the list below because of their cultural significance.

经受住了时间考验的城市不仅仅是历史的伤疤;它们显示了人类文明的积极和消极影响。世界上最古老的城市以其美丽的建筑和令人惊叹的故事而自豪，但今天能屹立不倒的古代城市却少之又少。关于历史记录有一些分歧，所以我们在下面的列表中添加了一些城市，因为它们的文化意义。

The sun sets over Plovdiv, Bulgaria, which has a history of habitation dating back 6,000 years. (Photo: Nataliya Nazarova/Shutterstock)

Here are 4 of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world:

以下是世界上4个最古老的持续有人居住的城市:

Damascus, Syria

大马士革,叙利亚

The Umayyad Mosque in Damascus is one of the largest and oldest mosques in the world. (Photo: milosk50/Shutterstock)

Damascus is widely believed to be the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world, with evidence of habitation dating back at least 11,000 years. Its location and persistence have made the city a nexus for civilizations come and gone. Today its metropolitan area is home to about 2.5 million people, and in 2008 it was named the Arab Capital of Culture.

大马士革被普遍认为是世界上最古老的有人居住的城市，至少有11000年的居住证据。它的位置和持久性使城市成为文明来来去去的联系纽带。今天，它的大都市区是约250万人口的家园，在2008年，它被命名为阿拉伯文化之都。

Jericho, West Bank

耶利哥，西岸

A gondola lift travels over Jericho, West Bank. (Photo: Tamarah/Wikimedia Commons)

Fortifications unearthed in Jericho dating back to 6800 B.C. confirm it's the earliest known walled city, and evidence of other habitation in the area dates back about 11,000 years, which means it's a serious contender for the world's oldest city. Incredibly, Jericho has remained inhabited — and dry — throughout history, despite its location well below sea level. This fact also makes the city the lowest permanently inhabited site on Earth. Today 20,000 people call Jericho home.

耶利哥的防御工事可以追溯到公元前6800年，这证实了它是已知的最早的有城墙的城市，该地区其他居住地的证据可以追溯到大约11000年前，这意味着它是世界上最古老的城市的有力竞争者。令人难以置信的是，尽管耶利哥位于海平面以下，但它在历史上一直有人居住，而且干燥。这一事实也使该城市成为地球上最低的永久居住地。今天，2万人把耶利哥当作自己的家。

Athens, Greece

希腊雅典

A view of the Acropolis at sunset in Athens. (Photo: S.Borisov/Shutterstock)

The ancient home of philosophy and the birthplace of Western civilization, Athens boasts a history of habitation that goes back long before the days of Socrates, Plato and Aristotle. The city has been continuously inhabited for at least 7,000 years. The oldest known human presence in Athens has been dated to between the 11th and 7th millennium B.C. Today it remains a sprawling metropolis, and its Acropolis still stands, overlooking the landscape.

雅典是古代哲学的故乡，也是西方文明的发祥地。早在苏格拉底、柏拉图和亚里士多德之前，雅典就有了居住的历史。这座城市已经连续存在了至少7000年。雅典已知的最古老的人类存在可以追溯到公元前11世纪到公元前7世纪。今天，雅典仍然是一个不断扩张的大都市，它的卫城仍然屹立着，俯瞰着周围的风景。

Argos, Greece

阿哥斯,希腊

Argos may rival Athens as one of the oldest cities in Europe. (Photo: Karin Helene Pagter Duparc/Wikimedia Commons)

An urban settlement for about the last 7,000 years, Argos is in competition with Athens to be the oldest city in Europe. The city has long been powerful — its commanding position in the fertile plain of Argolis has earned it a powerful position, though it has a history of neutrality. For instance, the city refused to fight or send supplies during the Greco-Persian Wars. Perhaps that's part of the reason the city has withstood the test of time.

阿哥斯是一个有着7000年历史的城市聚居地，它正在与雅典竞争欧洲最古老城市的称号。这座城市长期以来一直很强大——它在肥沃的阿哥斯平原上的指挥地位为它赢得了强大的地位，尽管它有中立的历史。例如，在希腊-波斯战争期间，这座城市拒绝战斗或运送物资。也许这就是这座城市经受住了时间考验的部分原因。