Few cities around the world have managed to combine past and present with a creative smoothness that highlights their historic standing, like the cities that made the “CNN” list of the best ancient cities that have retained their greatness despite challenges. The list included 23 cities that have earned their place as fascinating tourist destinations after managing to combine glimpses of the past with human creativity to create wonders.
Cairo of Al-Muizz topped the list with its ancient history dating back more than 1,000 years, its being home to one of the world’s oldest universities, and its rich heritage of Islamic art and Coptic treasures, along with the Giza Pyramids, which date back about 4,500 years, and the streets of Old Cairo, rich in cultural treasures.
Among Arab cities, the list included Petra in Jordan, which lies between the Dead Sea and the Red Sea. The rulers of the Nabataean kingdom were able to carve out their cultural greatness by sculpting magnificent buildings into its red sandstone cliffs in 300 BC.
The list also included Nimrud in Iraq, which gained its fame as the capital of Assyria, the world’s first empire, formed in 880 BC. Further excavations in the 1940s revealed a huge city with massive palaces and temples to the gods of war and writing.
The list did not overlook the Italian city of Rome, home to a historic arena, the “Colosseum,” built about 2,000 years ago to host bloody fights to the death between gladiators, attended by the emperor among 50,000 spectators.
Istanbul held an important place given that it spans the two continents of Asia and Europe, and its history rich in successive empires, from the Byzantine to Constantinople to modern Turkey, a heritage through which Istanbul has been able to forge its unique identity.
Other cities on the list include Persepolis in Iran, and Beijing, with a history of about 3,000 years during which it created a rich heritage of art, architecture and education, in addition to Great Zimbabwe, Angkor Wat in Cambodia, Bagan in Myanmar, Tikal in Guatemala, Kyoto in Japan, Timbuktu in Mali and Machu Picchu in Peru.
Also included are Athens, which has managed to create wonderful ways of integrating urban civilization with its famous ancient ruins, the cities of Ellora and Madurai in India, Xi’an in China, Poverty Point in Louisiana, Borobudur in Indonesia, Takht-i-Bahi in Pakistan, Stonehenge in England and Gondar in Ethiopia.
