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Paris, France

11 Continuously Inhabited Oldest Cities in the World

Ever since man learned to grow their own food and rear cattle, they have been living in permanent to semi-permanent settlements with certain degree of planning. Although opinions vary on whether any particular ancient settlement can be considered to be a city, there is no doubt that towns and cities have a long history.

The earliest civilizations in history were established in the region known as Mesopotamia, largely corresponding to modern-day Iraq, northeastern Syria, southeastern Turkey and southwestern Iran. Archaeological remains unearthed in Mesopotamia provides proof of settlements dating back to 10,000 BC. After Mesopotamia, the city culture arose in Syria and Anatolia, as shown by the city of Çatalhöyük (7500-5700BC). Mohenjodaro of the Indus Valley Civilization in present-day Pakistan existed from about 2600 BC and was one of the largest ancient cites with a population of 50,000 or more.

While it might not be too difficult to determine which is the oldest city in the world, there is fierce contention for the title of the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world. Often the age claims are disputed and historical evidences are difficult to prove. Then there are differences in opinion as to the definitions of "city" as well as "continuously inhabited". In any case, the following cities besides being some of the ancient in the world, they continue to grow and thrive until the present day.

Cities With the Most Impressive Skyline

The skyline of a city is like a fingerprint, unique and as easily identifiable as a country's flag or a national symbol. The Empire State Building, the Burj Khalifa, and the Taipei 101 are some of the iconic buildings that make the world's greatest skylines. The skyline of a city is also seen as symbol of the city's influence and economy. In general, larger cities have broader and taller skylines, though lower density cities can also have smaller skylines.

Here is a list of 25 cities that have the most impressive skyline in the world.

Hong Kong, China

Hong Kong is one of the world's leading international financial centers. The lack of space in the city caused demand for denser constructions, which developed the city to a center for modern architecture and the world's most vertical city. Hong Kong boasts of more than 7800 buildings of which more than 2300 are above 100 meter with a combined height of a whopping 333,836 meter. Hong Kong ranks first in the world in both skyscraper and high-rise count, with at least 52 completed skyscrapers over the height of 200 meter and 272 skyscrapers over 150 meter. It also boasts four of the 15 tallest buildings in the world.

In addition, Hong Kong's skyline is often considered to be the best in the world, with the surrounding mountains and Victoria Harbour complementing the skyscrapers. Every night, many skyscrapers and buildings on both sides of Victoria Harbour light up in a synchronized show called A Symphony of Lights, named by the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest permanent light and sound festival in the world.

CITIES

Duomo and Leaning Tower, Pisa, Italy