Europe
| Name | Historical region | Location | Continuously inhabited since | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Athens | Neolithic, Mycenaean Greece | GreAttica, Greece | -4500 ! 5th–4th Millennium BC | Earliest human presence 11th–7th millennium BC, recorded history begins in 1400 BC. |
| Argos | Neolithic, Mycenaean Greece | Greece | -5000 ! 5000 BC. | Urban settlement continuously inhabited for past 7000 years, historical, recorded history since second half of 1st millennium BC. |
| Plovdiv | Thrace | BulPlovdiv Province, Bulgaria | -3000 ! 3000 – 4000 BC | Thracian foundation. Earliest evidence of a settlement dates back to 6000 BC. |
| Kutaisi | Colchis | Imereti province, Georgia | -2000 ! c. 2000 BC | Founded as Aia. Archeological evidence indicates that the city functioned as the capital of the kingdom of Colchis as early as the second millennium BC. It is widely believed by historians that when Apollonius Rhodius was writing about Jason and the Argonauts and their legendary journey to Colchis, Kutaisi/Aia was the final destination of the Argonauts and the residence of King Aeëtes. |
| Chania | Crete | GreCrete, Greece | -1400 ! c. 1400 BC | Minoan foundation as Kydonia |
| Larnaca | Alashiya | Cyprus | -1400 ! c. 1400 BC | Mycenaean, then Phoenician colony |
| Thebes | Mycenaean Greece | GreBoeotia, Greece | -1400 ! c. 1400 BC | Mycenaean foundation |
| Trikala | Mycenaean Greece | GreThessaly, Greece | -1201 ! before 1200 BC | founded as Trikke |
| Chalcis | Mycenaean Greece | Greece | -1201 ! before 1200 BC | mentioned by Homer |
| Lisbon | Iron Age Iberia | Portugal | -1200 ! c. 1200 BC | A settlement since the Neolithic. Allis Ubbo, arguably a Phoenician name, became Olissipo(-nis) in Greek and Latin (also Felicitas Julia after Roman conquest in 205 BC). |
| Cádiz | Iron Age Iberia | SpaAndalusia, Spain | -1100 ! 1100 BC | founded as Phoenician Gadir, "Europe's oldest city" |
| Patras | Mycenaean Greece | Greece | -1100 ! c. 1100 BC | founded by Patreus |
| Mtskheta | Caucasian Iberia | Georgia | 1000 ! c. 1000 BC | Remains of towns at this location have been dated to earlier than the year 1000 BC, and Mtskheta was capital of the early Georgian Kingdom of Iberia during the 3rd century BC – 5th century AD. It was the site of early Christian activity, and the location where Christianity was proclaimed the state religion of Georgia in 337. |
| Mytilene | Lesbos | GreNorth Aegean, Greece | -950 ! 10th century BC | |
| Chios | Chios | GreNorth Aegean, Greece | -1100 ! c. 1100 BC | |
| Yerevan | Urartu | Armenia | -800 ! 782 BC | Founded as Erebuni. The Shengavit Settlement in the southwestern district of Yerevan was founded in the late 4th millennium BC, during the Calcolithic period. |
| Málaga | Iron Age Iberia | Spa Andalusia, Spain | -750 ! 8th century BC | founded as Phoenician Malaka. |
| Rome | Latium | ItaLazio, Italy | -753 ! 753 BC | Continuous habitation since approximately 1000 BC.; pastoral village on the northern part of the Palatine Hill dated to the 9th century BC; see also History of Rome and Founding of Rome. |
| Messina (as Zancle) | Sicily | ItaSicily, Italy | -750 ! 8th century BC | |
| Reggio di Calabria (as Rhégion) | Magna Graecia | ItaCalabria, Italy | -743 ! 743 BC | Continuous habitation since approximately 1500 BC, as we have notice about the Ausonian-Italic pre-Greek settlement and about the sculptor Léarchos of Reggio (earl 15th century BC) and King Iokastos (late 13th century BC). |
| Syracuse | Sicily | ItaSicily, Italy | -734 ! 734 BC | A colony of the Greek city of Corinth |
| Crotone (as Kroton) | Calabria | ItaMagna Graecia, Italy | -710 ! 710 BC | |
| Taranto (as Taras) | Magna Graecia | ItaPuglia, Italy | -706 ! 706 BC | |
| Corfu, Kerkyra | Corfu | GreIonian Islands, Greece | -700 ! 700 BC | |
| Naples | Magna Graecia | Italy | -680 ! c. 680 BC | Actually the date at which an older settlement close by, called Parthenope, was founded by settlers from Cumae. This eventually merged with Neapolis proper, which was founded c. 470 BC. |
| Istanbul/Byzantion | Thrace Anatolia | Turkey | -667 ! 685 BC Anatolia 667 BC Thrace |
Neolithic site dated to 6400 BC, over port of Lygos by Thracians c. 1150 BC |
| Durrës | Illyria | Albania | -627 ! 627 BC | Founded by settlers from Corcyra & Corinth as Epidamnos |
| Kerch | Crimea | Ukraine | -600 ! 7th century BC | |
| Feodosiya (as Theodosia) | Crimea | Ukraine | -600 ! 7th century BC | |
| Edessa, Greece | Macedonia | Greece | -601 ! before the 6th century BC | capital of Macedonia up to 6th century BC |
| Marseilles (as Massilia) | Gaul | France | -600 ! 600 BC | A colony of the Greek city of Phocaea |
| Varna | Thrace | BulBulgarian Black Sea Coast, Bulgaria | -570 ! 585 BC – 570 BC | founded as Odessos by settlers from Miletus |
| Kavala | Macedonia | Greece | -550 ! 6th century BC | founded as Neapolis |
| Mangalia | Dacia | Romania | -550 ! 6th century BC | founded as Callatis |
| Constanţa | Dacia | Romania | -550 ! 6th century BC | founded as Tomis |
| Mantua | Po Valley | ItaLombardy, Italy | -550 ! 6th century BC | Village settlement since c. 2000 BC; became an Etruscan city in the 6th century BC. |
| Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi | Bessarabia | Ukraine | -550 ! 6th century BC | founded as Tyras |
| Serres | Macedonia | Greece | -450 ! 5th century BC | first mentioned in the 5th century BC as Siris |
| Lamia | Greece | Greece | -501 ! before the 5th century BC | first mentioned 424 BC |
| Veria | Macedonia | Greece | -432 ! c. 432 BC | first mentioned by Thucydides in 432 BC |
| Rhodes | Rhodes, Aegean Sea | GreDodecanese, Greece | -408 ! c. 408 BC | |
| Sofia | Moesia | BulSofia Valley, Bulgaria | -350 ! 4th century BC | Celtic foundation as Serdica. |
| Metz | Gaul | France | -350 ! 4th century BC | founded as the oppidum of Celtic Mediomatrici. However, Human permanent presence has been established in the site since 2500 BC. |
| Qabala (as Kabalaka) | Caucasian Albania | Azerbaijan | -350 ! 4th century BC | Archeological evidence indicates that the city functioned as the capital of the Caucasian Albania as early as the 4th century BC. |
| Stara Zagora | Thrace | Bulgaria | -342 ! 342 BC | It was called Beroe in ancient times and was founded by Phillip II of Macedon although a Thracian settlement neolithic inhabitation have been discovered as well. |
| Thessaloniki | Macedonia (ancient kingdom) | Greece | -315 ! 315 BC | founded as a new city in the same place of the older city Therme. |
| Berat | Macedonia (ancient kingdom) | Albania | -314 ! 314 BC | Founded by Cassander as Antipatreia |
| Belgrade | Illyria | Serbia | -279 ! 279 BC | Vinča culture prospered around Belgrade in the 6th millennium BC. Founded as Singidunum. |
| Niš | Illyria | Serbia | -279 ! 279 BC | Founded as Navissos. Neolithic settlements date to 5000–2000 BC. |
| Cartagena (as Carthago Nova) | Iberia | Spain | -228 ! 228 BC | Carthaginian colony, founded by Hasdrubal Barca |
| Barcelona (as Barcino) | Iberia | SpaCatalonia, Spain | -250 ! 3rd century BC | Carthaginian colony, founded by Hamilcar Barca |
| Stobi/Gradsko | Macedonia | Republic of Macedonia | -217 ! 217 BC | founded as Stobi by Philip V of Macedon |
| Sremska Mitrovica | Illyria | Serbia | -50 ! 1st century BC | Founded as Sirmium. Neolithic settlements date to 5000 BC and are with other archeological findings evidence to continuous habitation. |
| Smederevo | Illyria | Serbia | -50 ! 1st century BC | Founded as Semendria. |
| Évora | Lusitania | Portugal | -53 ! 53 BC (Roman conquest) | Evidence of Lusitanian settlement prior to Roman occupation. |
| Paris | Lutetia | France | -52 ! 52 BC | Archaeological evidence indicates human habitation as early as 4200 BC. During the Gallic Wars, Caesar's armies set fire to Lutetia "a town of the Parisii, situated on an island on the river Seine." While only a garrison at best on the Île de la Cité during some periods after 1st and 2nd century, was renamed Paris in 360 CE |
| Zürich (Lindenhof) | Gaul | Switzerland | -50 ! c. 50 BC | lakeside settlement traces dating to the Neolithic. |
| Trier | Gallia Belgica | Germany | -30 ! 30 BC | Oldest city in Germany. |
| Nijmegen | Germania Inferior | Netherlands | -19 ! 19 BC | Oldest city in the Netherlands. |
| Chur | Raetia Prima | SwiGrisons, Switzerland | -15 ! 15 BC | habitation since the 4th millennium BC (Pfyn culture). |
| Tongeren | Germania Inferior | Belgium | -10 ! 10 BC | Oldest city in Belgium. |
| Solothurn | Gaul | Switzerland | 20 ! c. 20 AD | Evidence of pre-Roman, Celtic settlement; newly founded by the Romans between 14 and 37 AD, called the "oldest city in Gaul besides Trier" in a verse on the city's clock tower. |
| London (as Londinium) | Britannia | UK (England) | 43 ! 43 AD | |
| Bath (as Aquae Sulis) | Britannia | UK (England) | 43 ! 43 AD | The city was established as a spa town by the Romans in 43 AD |
| Winchester (as Venta Belgarum) | Britannia | UK (England) | 70 ! c. 70 AD | Winchester was built as a Roman town in c. 70 AD. |
| York (as Eboracum) | Britannia | UK (England) | 72 ! c. 72 AD | The city was founded in or around AD 72 when the 9th Roman Legion set up camp there. |
| Skopje | Macedonia (Roman province) | Republic of Macedonia | 96 ! 81–96 AD | Founded in the time of Domitian as Scupi. |
| Novi Sad | Illyria | Serbia | 50 ! 1st century AD | Founded as Cusum. |
| Verdun | Lotharingia | France | 350 ! 4th century | seat of the bishop of Verdun from the 4th century, but populated earlier. |
| Kiev | Medieval East Slavic civilization | Ukraine | 482 ! 482 AD | Founded by Slavic tribe leader Kyi. Some sources suggest Kiev was founded in 640 BC. |
| Tbilisi | Caucasian Iberia | Kartli province, Georgia | 500 ! c. 500 | According to the widely accepted legend the city was founded by King Vakhtang I Gorgasali of Georgia. New archaeological studies of the region have revealed that the territory of Tbilisi was settled by humans as early as the 4th millennium BCE. The earliest actual (recorded) accounts of settlement of the location come from the 4th century, when a fortress was built during King Varaz-Bakur's reign. |
| Aberdeen | Pictland | UK (Scotland) | 580 ! c. 580 | A settlement was established by c. 580 when records show the city's first church was built then. However, there is archaeological evidence of settlements in the area dating back to 6000BC. |
| Edinburgh as Din Eidyn | Gododdin | UK (Scotland) | 580 ! c. 580 | Edinburgh is mention as a settlement in the poem Y Gododdin, traditionally dated to the around the late 6th and early 7th century. The Poem uses The Brythonic name Din Eidyn (Fort of Eidyn) for Edinburgh and describes it as the capital of Gododdin. It is not until around 638 that the city starts being referred to as Edin-burh or Edinburgh, after the city was conquered by the Angles of Bernicia |
| Prague | Bohemia | Czech Republic | 550 ! c. 6th century | The first written record dates back to the 10th century. |
| Inverness | Pictland | UK (Scotland) | 550 ! c. 6th century | A settlement was established by the 6th century when St Columba visited the Pictish King Brude at his fortress there. |
| Glasgow | Dál Riata or Alt Clut | UK (Scotland) | 550 ! c. 6th century | A settlement was founded in the 6th century by St Mungo, who is the city's patron Saint. |
| Ioannina | Byzantine Empire | Greece | 565 ! 527–565 | founded by emperor Justinian I |
| Krakow (Wawel Hill) | Lesser Poland | Poland | 650 ! 7th c. | The first written record dates back to the 10th century. |
| Århus | Denmark | 700 ! c. 770 | ||
| Ribe | Jutland | Denmark | 710 ! 704–710 | Oldest town in Denmark |
| Staraya Ladoga | Russia | 753 ! 753 | ||
| Heraklion | Crete | Greece | 824 ! 824 | founded by the Saracens |
| Dublin | Ireland | IreIreland | 841 ! 841 | |
| Veliky Novgorod | Russia | 859 ! 859 | ||
| Reykjavík | Iceland | Iceland | 871 ! c. 871 | |
| Tønsberg | Norway | Norway | 871 ! c. 871 | oldest city in Norway. |
| Xanthi | Thrace | Greece | 878 ! before 879 | first medieval reference as Xantheia |
| Skara | Sweden | 988 ! 988 | ||
| Lund | Denmark | Sweden | 990 ! c. 990 |
Read more about this topic: List Of Cities By Time Of Continuous Habitation
Famous quotes containing the word europe:
“Of one thing I can assure you with comparative certainty, whoever wins, Europe will be economically ruined. This war is America’s great opportunity.”
—John Dos Passos (1896–1970)
“I’ve come to think of Europe as a hardcover book, America as the paperback version.”
—Don Delillo (b. 1926)
“What helps it now, that Byron bore,
With haughty scorn which mock’d the smart,
Through Europe to the Aetolian shore
The pageant of his bleeding heart?
That thousands counted every groan,
And Europe made his woe her own?”
—Matthew Arnold (1822–1888)