Cities Journal
Rankings

12 Ancient Cities Still Alive and Well Today

12. Cholula, Mexico
Photo credit: RussBowling / Flickr

Ancient cities are scattered throughout the world. But, surprisingly, there aren’t a lot that have been continually inhabited since their founding. Only a handful have records that trace a clear path from earliest times to the present. And, at some point, ancient loses meaning.

Setting out to tour the oldest continuously occupied cities on the globe, you will set foot on every continent except Australia. You can customize an itinerary, but here are a dozen destinations:

12. Cholula, Mexico

The oldest continuously occupied city in the Americas, Cholula, is in Puebla, in Central Mexico. Known for its central pyramid, it was established about 500 BCE. It’s a youngster on the world stage, but an established “senior” in Mexico, and today has 18 different barrios, or neighborhoods.

Prev1 of 14Next

Stay In Touch

Recommended For You

The Latest