15 Ancient Places On Earth Everyone Should Visit Today

Argos, Greece

Archeologists date this city as far back as 5000 or 6000 BC. The recorded history of this city being inhabited by humans goes back as 3,000 years. Once a prominent and powerful city, today there are ruins and monuments that are truly magical.

Athens, Greece

The recorded history of this city begins in 1400 BC, but the city itself may have started 6 or 7,000 years ago. The city today still has a ton of historical monuments and buildings that represent Greece with absolute beauty and intricacy.

Gaziantep, Turkey

This ancient city, sometimes known as Antep, was inhabited in the Paleolithic age. It is so old that it has been ruled by a plethora of different empires over time, including the Persian, Roman, and Byzantine empires. It’s insane to imagine that you’re walking through the same roads that warriors of the past once roamed.

Luxor, Egypt

Luxor sits in the world-famous ‘Valley of the kings’ and was founded over 18,000 years ago. Among the many stunning tombs and monuments in Luxor sits both Temple of Karnak and the tomb of Queen Nefertari. Going here is probably the closest you’ll get to being a real Rick O’Connell.

Bylbos- Lebanon

Believed to have been occupied by humans in 8800 BC, this gem of the ancient world has been continuously inhabited by humans since 5000 BC.

Plovdiv- Bulgaria

Continuously lived in for well over 3,000 years, this ancient city still has an ancient gate to ‘old town’ and a Roman theatre that is still used to this day.

Varanasi, India

This stunning and timeless city dates all the way back to 11th century B.C and is considered by many to be the spiritual capital of India- for good reason. This city has over 2,000 temples.

Chania, Crete, Greece

If you’re a fan of Homer’s “Odyssey” you’d be thrilled to know that this town was built on the site of ancient Kydonia, which is detailed in the epic poem. Of all ancient cities, this might be the most picturesque. Here you will find beautiful narrow cobblestone streets, shops, a brilliant view of crystal clear water, and historical landmarks.

Lisbon, Portugal

Occupied by the Celts far before the Phoenicians arrived, this city has been occupied by many different groups of people throughout history. One of the many beautiful buildings you’ll find here is the Belem Tower, built in 1515.

Cadiz, Spain

Considered by many to be one of the oldest standing cities in Western Europe, Cadiz was Founded by Phoenicians around 110 BC. Stunning views, historical landmarks, roads as old as any on earth, this place is truly magnificent.

Zadar, Croatia

Dating back to around 1000 BC, Zadar is filled with both Roman and Venetian ruins. This ancient city manages to successfully run in a modern world while still maintaining the beauty and intricacies of the old-world that makes it so great.

Palermo, Sicily

Founded by Phoenician traders back in 734 BC, this city is filled with history. In fact, cave drawings in the area have archeologists thinking that people settled here as far back as 8000 BC.

Chengdu, China

The Ancient city of Chengdu was the capital of the Shu Kingdom way back in 400 BC. Today, the streets are filled with traditional Chinese architecture and will leave you feeling as if you were exploring the city far before the modern age.

Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka

Founded in 377 BC, this ancient city is proof that the Sinhalese people were incredibly advanced for their time. The place is filled with ruins of temples that showcase evidence of iron technology, pottery, horses, domesticated cattle and paddy cultivation.

Osaka, Japan

If you ever want to experience both the future and the past in one go, Japan is the place to be. Osaka was the capital of Japan from 645 to 655 and was inhabited over 2,600 years ago. Osaka Castle, pictured above, dates back to 1597.