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Did you know that some of the world's most modern cities are in fact among the most ancient? While their contemporary steel and glass veneer suggest a recent history, many of these cities are built on foundations that date back to antiquity. These historic building blocks have preserved a wealth of breathtaking monuments that provide a compelling contrast between the old and the new. So, what are the oldest newest cities on the planet?
There are pockets of modern-day Rome that are almost entirely bereft of contemporary new-build structures, such is the astonishing collection of ancient gems that define this fabled city.
Rome was founded in 753 BCE and is one of the oldest continuously-occupied cities in Europe. Its rare and precious landmarks include the mighty Colosseum and the Roman Forum (pictured).
Modern-day Luxor sits on the east bank of the Nile River in southern Egypt. It occupies the site of ancient Thebes, the great capital of Upper Egypt during the New Kingdom.
Luxor has given its name to the southern half of the ruins of this historic destination, which contains some of the most impressive monuments from antiquity, including the temple complexes at Karnak (pictured) and Luxor, both of which stand within the modern city.
Athens is the perfect example of a modern city coexisting with its ancient past. The Greek capital boasts a recorded history spanning over 3,400 years, making it one of the oldest cities in the world.
Evidence of classical Athens can be seen everywhere. This image, for example, includes the Acropolis of Athens, the Temple of Athena Nike, the Parthenon, Hekatompedon Temple, the Sanctuary of Zeus Polieus, the Roman-era Odeon of Herodes Atticus, and the Erechtheion.
Lima was established in 1535. The city, however, is set over ancient foundations that date back to the pre-Columbian era. In the 1950s, archaeologists uncovered an adobe pyramid believed to have been used by the Incas and the Hullala people more than 2,000 years ago. It was given the name Huaca Huallamarca, and is located in Lima's San Isidro district.
The city was founded by the Romans in 47 CE as Londinium, the capital of Roman Britain. Vestiges of their occupation can still be seen in the surviving sections of wall that would have once ringed the entire city.
Mainland Europe's westernmost capital city and the only one along the Atlantic coast, Lisbon has served as an important seaport since the Roman era. Subsequently occupied by the Visigoths and later the Moors, the city is quite literally built on the foundations of several different civilizations.
Vestiges of Roman and Moorish rule are visible in Lisbon's historic zones, noticeably parts of the Cerca Velha ("Old Wall"), originally built by the Romans.
The sprawling capital city of South Korea has a history that dates back almost 2,000 years, to when Wiryeseong, the capital of Baekje, was located on the banks of the Hangang River in the southeastern part of what is now modern-day Seoul.
The Fortress Wall of Seoul stands as a solid reminder of the city's 14th-centuy heritage, and originally circled the heart of the old city as protection from would-be invaders.
One of the world's major centers of finance, diplomacy, commerce, fashion, gastronomy, science, and arts, Paris stands on a site once occupied by Iron Age settlers. It was known to the Romans as Luteciam Parisiorum.
By the 8th century CE, Paris was the largest and most prosperous city in France. But it was running out of room. By the beginning of the 19th century, the city had expanded over the series of underground ossuaries built around 1786 and containing the remains of more than six million people. Today, the Paris Catacombs are a major tourist site.
The Bosphorus river cuts Istanbul in half to anchor one part of the city in Europe, the other in Asia. Turkey's largest city is home to over 15 million residents.
A settlement was established by Greek colonists on the site of the present city in the 7th century BCE, and was named Byzantion. It was the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great who renamed it Constantinople, around 330 CE. Istanbul today numbers a rich collection of monuments including the Column of Constantine, seen in this image at the bottom left.
