List of cities of the ancient Near East

This article contains special characters. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols.

The ancient Near East
Regions and states
Fertile Crescent Mesopotamia Akkadian Empire Assyria Babylonia Neo-Assyrian Empire Neo-Babylonian Empire Sumer Egypt Ancient Egypt Persia Achaemenid Empire Elam Medes Anatolia Hittites Hurrians Neo-Hittite states Urartu The Levant Ancient Israel Phoenicia
Archaeological periods
Chronology Bronze Age Bronze Age collapse Iron Age
Languages
Akkadian Aramaic Assyriology Cuneiform script Elamite Hebrew Hittite Hurrian Phoenician Sumerian Urartian
Literature
Babylonian Hittite texts Sumerian
Mythology
Babylonian Hittite Mesopotamian Egyptian
Other topics
Cradle of civilization Assyrian law Babylonian astronomy Babylonian law Babylonian mathematics Cuneiform law History of the Middle East
v t e

The earliest cities in history appear in the ancient Near East. The area of the ancient Near East covers roughly that of the modern Middle East; its history begins in the 4th millennium BC and ends, depending on the interpretation of the term, either with the conquest by the Achaemenid Empire in the 6th century BC or that by Alexander the Great in the 4th century BC.

The largest cities of the Bronze Age Near East housed several tens of thousands of people. Memphis in the Early Bronze Age, with some 30,000 inhabitants, was the largest city of the time by far. Ur in the Middle Bronze Age is estimated to have had some 65,000 inhabitants; Babylon in the Late Bronze Age similarly had a population of some 50,000–60,000. Niniveh had some 20,000–30,000, reaching 100,000 only in the Iron Age (ca. 700 BC).

The KI 𒆠 determinative was the Sumerian term for a city or city state.^[1] In Akkadian and Hittite orthography, URU𒌷 became a determinative sign denoting a city, or combined with KUR𒆳 "land" the kingdom or territory controlled by a city, e.g. 𒄡𒆳𒌷𒄩𒀜𒌅𒊭 LUGAL KUR ^URUHa-at-ti "the king of the country of (the city of) Hatti".

Contents

• 
  1 Mesopotamia
  
  
  
  • 
    1.1 Lower Mesopotamia
    
  
  
  • 
    1.2 Upper Mesopotamia
    
  
  
  
  


• 
  2 Iran
  


• 
  3 Anatolia
  


• 
  4 The Levant
  


• 
  5 Arabian Peninsula
  


• 
  6 Kerma (Doukki Gel)
  


• 
  7 Horn of Africa
  


• 
  8 Egypt
  


• 
  9 See also
  


• 
  10 References
  


• 
  11 External links
  

Mesopotamia

Further information: Geography of Mesopotamia and Mesopotamia

Lower Mesopotamia

(ordered from north to south)

• 
  Eshnunna (Tell Asmar)


• Diniktum


• 
  Tutub (Khafajah)


• 
  Der (Tell Aqar, Durum?)


• 
  Sippar (Tell Abu Habbah)


• 
  Sippar-Amnanum (Tell ed-Der)


• 
  Kutha (Tell Ibrahim)


• 
  Jemdet Nasr (NI.RU)


• 
  Kish (Tell Uheimir & Ingharra)


• 
  Babilim (Babylon)


• 
  Borsippa (Birs Nimrud)


• 
  Mashkan-shapir (Tell Abu Duwari)


• 
  Dilbat (Tell ed-Duleim)


• 
  Nippur (Afak)


• 
  Marad (Tell Wannat es-Sadum)


• 
  Adab (Tell Bismaya)


• 
  Isin (Ishan al-Bahriyat)


• 
  Kisurra (Tell Abu Hatab)


• 
  Shuruppak (Tell Fara)


• 
  Bad-tibira (Tell al-Madineh?)


• 
  Zabalam (Tell Ibzeikh)


• 
  Umma ("Umm al-Aqarib" and Tell Jokha)


• 
  Girsu (Tello or Telloh)


• 
  Lagash (Tell al-Hiba)


• 
  Urum (Tell Uqair)


• 
  Uruk (Warka)


• 
  Larsa (Tell as-Senkereh)


• Tell Khaiber


• 
  Ur (Tell al-Muqayyar)


• 
  Kuara (Tell al-Lahm)


• 
  Eridu (Tell Abu Shahrain)


• 
  Ubaid (Tell al-'Ubaid)


• Akshak


• Akkad

Upper Mesopotamia

Map of Syria in the second millennium BC

(ordered from north to south)

• Urfa


• Shanidar cave


• 
  Urkesh (Urkish) (Tell Mozan)


• 
  Tell Leilan (Shekhna, Shubat-Enlil)


• Tell Arbid


• Harran


• Chagar Bazar


• 
  Mardaman (Bassetki)


• 
  Kahat (Tell Barri)


• 
  Tell el Fakhariya (Washukanni?)


• 
  Hadatu (Arslan Tash)


• 
  Carchemish (Djerabis)


• 
  Til Barsip (Tell Ahmar)


• Tell Chuera


• 
  Mumbaqat (Tall Munbāqa, also Ekalte (Mumbaqat))


• Al-Rawda


• 
  Nabada l Beydar)
  


• 
  Nagar (Tell Brak)


• Telul eth-Thalathat


• Tepe Gawra


• 
  Tell Arpachiyah (Tepe Reshwa)


• 
  Shibaniba (Tell Billa)


• 
  Tarbisu (Sherif Khan)


• 
  Nineveh (Ninua)


• 
  Qatara or Karana (Tell al-Rimah)


• Tell Hamoukar


• 
  Dur Sharrukin (Khorsabad)


• 
  Tell Shemshara (Shusharra)


• 
  Erbil (Urbilim, Arba-Ilu)


• Tell Taya


• Tell Hassuna


• 
  Balawat (Imgur-Enlil)


• Tell es-Sweyhat


• 
  Nimrud (Kalhu)


• 
  Emar (Tell Meskene)


• Qal'at Jarmo


• Arrapha


• Kar-Tukulti-Ninurta


• Assur


• Ekallatum


• 
  Nuzi (Yorghan Tepe, Gasur)


• 
  Tell al-Fakhar (Kuruhanni?)


• 
  Terqa (Tell Ashara)


• Doura Europos


• 
  Mari (Tell Hariri)


• 
  Haradum (Khirbet ed-Diniyeh)


• Tell es Sawwan


• 
  Nerebtum or Kiti (Tell Ishchali)


• Tell Agrab


• 
  Dur-Kurigalzu (Aqar Quf)


• 
  Shaduppum (Tell Harmal)


• Seleucia


• 
  Ctesiphon (Taq Kisra)


• 
  Zenobia (Halabiye)


• Hatra

Iran

• 
  Ecbatana (Hamadan?)


• Takht-e-Suleiman


• Behistun


• Godin Tepe


• 
  Rey (Rhages, Europos, Shahr-e-Ray, Arsacia)


• Chogha Mish


• Tepe Sialk


• 
  Susa (Shush, Shushan)


• 
  Kabnak (Haft Tepe)


• 
  Dur Untash (Chogha Zanbil)


• Shahr-e-Sukhteh


• 
  Pasargadae (Pasargad, Pasargadai)


• Naqsh-e Rustam


• 
  Estakhr (Istakhr)


• 
  Persepolis (Parsa)


• Tall-i Bakun


• 
  Anshan (Tall-i Malyan or Tepe Malyan)


• Konar Sandal


• Tepe Yahya


• Teppe Hasanlu


• Bam


• Sarvestan


• Hecatompylos


• Khorramabad


• Kermanshah


• Nimvar


• 
  Isfahan(Aspadana)


• Rabat Tepe


• Temukan


• Darabgard


• Hafshejan


• Tabriz


• Kangavar


• Shahdad


• Marlik


• Chogha Bonut


• Ganj Dareh


• Ali Kosh


• Geoy Tepe


• Baba Jan Tepe


• Shah Tepe


• Hajji Firuz Tepe


• Kul Tepe


• Shir Ashian Tepe


• Tureng Tepe


• Yarim Tepe


• Vahrkana (Gorgan)


• Narezzash (Neyriz)


• Zranka (Dahan-e Gholaman)


• Shushtar


• Shiraz


• Urmia


• Nahavand


• Patigrabana


• Bushehr


• Hormirzad(Bandar Abbas)


• Semnan


• Amol


• Karaj


• Yasuj


• Mahallat


• Arderica


• Hashtgerd


• Bit-Istar


• Liyan


• Bastam


• Ganzak

Anatolia

Settlements of Bronze Age Anatolia, based on Hittite records.

(ordered from north to south)

• İnandıktepe


• Miletus


• 
  Sfard (Sardis)


• Nicaea


• Sapinuwa


• Yazilikaya


• Alaca Höyük


• Maşat Höyük


• Alishar Hüyük


• Hattusa


• 
  Ilios (Wilusa, Ilion, Troas, Troy)


• 
  Kanesh (Nesa, Kültepe)


• 
  Arslantepe (Malatya)


• 
  Çayönü (Amed, Diyarbakir)


• 
  Sam'al (Zincirli Höyük)


• Çatalhöyük


• Beycesultan


• Karatepe


• 
  Tushhan (Ziyaret Tepe)


• Adana


• Tarsus


• 
  Zephyrion (Mersin)


• Gözlükule


• Sultantepe


• 
  Attalia (Antalya)

The Levant

In alphabetical order:

• 
  Acco (Acre)


• 
  Admah (one of the five "cities of the plain")


• 
  Adoraim (Adora, Dura)


• 
  Alalah (Alalakh)


• Aleppo


• 
  Aphek (Antipatris, Tell Afik)


• 
  Arad (Arad Rabbah?; Tel Arad)


• 
  Arqa (Arkat)


• 
  Arwad (island off Tartus; Aradus, Arvad, Arphad, Ruad Island)


• Ashdod


• Ashkelon


• 
  Baalbek (Heliopolis)


• 
  Batroun (Botrys)


• 
  Beersheba (Tel Sheva, Tell es-Seba)


• 
  Beth Shean (Beth Shan)


• 
  Bet Shemesh (house of Shamash)


• Bet-el


• 
  Bethsaida (later name of the capital of Geshur; et-Tell)


• 
  Bezer (Bosra in Syria)^{[dubious – discuss]}
  


• 
  Byblos (Gubla, Kepen)


• 
  Dan, former Laish (Tel Dan, Tell el-Qadi)


• 
  Damascus (Dimasqu, Dimashq)


• 
  Deir Alla (Pethor?)


• 
  Dhiban (Dibon)


• 
  Dor (D-jr, Dora)


• 
  Ebla (Tell Mardikh)


• 
  En Gedi, also Hazazon-tamar (Tel Goren)


• 
  Enfeh (Ampi)


• 
  Ekron (Tel Miqne, Khirbet el-Muqanna)


• 
  Et-Tell (Ai?)


• Gath


• Gaza


• Gezer


• 
  Gibeah (Tell el-Ful?)


• Gomorrah


• 
  Hamath (Hama, Epiphania)


• Hazor


• Hebron


• Jawa


• 
  Jericho (Tell es-Sultan)

• 
  Jerusalem (Jebus, City of David, Zion)


• Jezreel


• 
  Kabri (one of several cities called Rehov)


• Kadesh Barnea


• 
  Kedesh (Qadesh in Galilee)


• 
  Khirbet Kerak (Tel Bet Yerah; later Al-Sinnabra)


• 
  Khirbet el-Qom (Makkedah/Maqqedah)


• 
  Khirbet Qeiyafa (Sha'arayim? / Neta'im?)


• 
  Kir of Moab (Kerak)


• 
  Kumidi (Kamid al lawz)


• 
  Lachish (Tel Lachish, Tell ed-Duweir)


• 
  Megiddo (Tel Megiddo, Tell el-Mutesellim)


• 
  Qatna (Tell Mishrifeh)


• 
  Rabat Amon (Hellenistic Philadelphia)


• 
  Rehov (Jordan Valley) (Tel Rehov)


• 
  Samaria (Shomron)


• Sarepta


• 
  Sharuhen (Tell el-Far'ah South?, Tell el-'Ajjul?, Tel Haror?)


• Shiloh


• Sidon


• Sodom


• 
  Tadmor (Palmyra)


• Tall Zira'a


• 
  Tell Balata (Shechem)


• 
  Tell el-Hesi (Eglon?)


• Tell Kazel


• 
  Tell Qarqur (Karkar?)


• 
  Tell Tweini (Gibala?)


• 
  Tirzah (Tell el-Farah North)


• 
  Tyros (Tylos, Tyre)


• 
  Ugarit (Ras Shamra)


• Umm el-Marra


• 
  Tel Yokneam (Yokneam, "'En-qn'mu")


• Zeboim


• 
  Zemar (Sumura, Sumur)


• 
  Zoara (Zoar, Bela)

Arabian Peninsula

The Arabian Peninsula and the Horn of Africa, separated by just a few miles of the Red Sea, have a history of related settlements, especially near the coast.

• Awwam


• Hajar Am-Dhaybiyya


• Barran


• 
  Bakkah (Mecca)


• Barbar Temple


• Dhamar


• 
  Dedan (Al-`Ula)


• Dalma


• Dibba Al-Hisn


• 
  Dumat Al-Jandal (Adummatu)


• Ed-Dur


• Eudaemon


• Failaka


• Gerrha


• Ḥaram


• 
  Ubar (Aram, Iram, Irum, Irem, Erum) the name of a geographic location - a city or an area, or a tribe


• Julfar


• Jubail


• 
  Khor Rori (Sumhuram)


• 
  Kaminahu (Kamna)


• Lihyan


• 
  Mada'in Saleh (Al-Hijr, el Hijr, and Hegra)


• Ma'rib


• Mleiha


• Muweilah


• Nashaq


• Nashan


• Petra


• Qarnawu


• 
  Qaryat al-Faw (Dhat al-Jnan)


• Qal'at al-Bahrain


• Ṣirwāḥ


• Shabwa


• Shimal


• 
  Tayma (Tema)


• Tell Abraq


• Thaj


• Tarout


• Timna


• Umm Al Nar


• 
  Yathrib (Medina)


• Zafar

Kerma (Doukki Gel)

• Jebel Barkal


• Napata


• Meroë


• 
  Aksum (Axum)

Horn of Africa

• Adulis


• Keskese


• Matara


• Qohaito


• Sembel


• Yeha

Egypt

For a more comprehensive list, see List of ancient Egyptian towns and cities.

See also

• 
  Ancient Near East portal
  


• 
  Cities portal
  

• City-state


• Sumerian King List


• Historical cities


• Short chronology timeline


• List of oldest continuously inhabited cities


• Ancient towns in Saudi Arabia


• List of Ancient Settlements in the UAE

References

1. 
   ^ Electronic Pennsylvania Sumerian Dictionary (EPSD)
   

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ancient Near East maps.

• Geospatial: Mapping Iraq's Ancient Cities


• 
  Ancient cities grew pretty much like modern ones, say scientists (February 2015), Christian Science Monitor
  

This page is only for reference, If you need detailed information, please check here