How old is the oldest road in the world?
Worlds Oldest Road: How Old Is It?
Okay, so, oldest road, huh? Crazy to think about. I read somewhere, ages ago – maybe a dusty old archaeology book from uni? – that this paved road in Egypt, built between 2600 and 2200 BC, takes the cake. Pretty wild.
Think about it – that's ancient. Seriously ancient. Before the pyramids even were fully finished, maybe. My history prof always rambled on about the Romans and their roads, but this Egyptian one completely blows their stuff out of the water.
Romans built tons of roads, no doubt, and their engineering was impressive. But that Egyptian road? Older. Significantly older. It makes you wonder what daily life was like back then, what was being hauled along it.
That 4000 year age gap is mind-blowing. Seriously. Makes my commute on the M25 seem... less impressive. So yeah, Egypt. Old road. Ancient history. 2600-2200 BC.
The oldest known paved road is in Egypt, built between 2600 and 2200 BC.
How old is the oldest town in the world?
Jericho. Yeah, Jericho is old.
Like, seriously ancient. I visited once in, hmm, must have been 2018? Hot. Dusty. You could just feel the history, y'know? It's near the Jordan River.
They say it's been inhabited for 11,000 years. Can you even imagine?!
That's like, older than sliced bread, times a million. I was there, right, taking photos, and thought, "Wow, people were living here when, like, the pyramids were just a twinkle in someone's eye".
I read they found 20 layers of settlements built on top of each other. Each layer is a civilization basically. Mind-blowing, really.
Now, I don't know exactly how many people live there, but around 20,000 seems right. It felt bigger than I expected, honestly.
- Location: West Bank, near the Jordan River
- Claim to Fame: World's oldest continuously inhabited city
- Estimated Age: 11,000 years
- Archaeological Finds: 20 layers of settlements
- Current Population: Approximately 20,000
Oh man, my taxi driver, what was his name, Ahmed I think, was telling me stories about Jericho. He was saying the history there, you can feel it in your bones. Like a living, breathing museum, only you know, actually living! It was something else.
I wish I had taken more pictures.
- Can I pay my Visa fee with a credit card?
- How far in advance can you book Trenitalia tickets?
- Who is the largest retailer in Vietnam?
- Which is the longest road tunnel in the world?
- Will my luggage get lost on a connecting flight?
- Is 1 hour too short for a layover?
- How early to get to Bangkok airport for international flight reddit?
- What is the most common means of transportation?
- How early can I check in for my flight at the counter?
- How much do banks charge for ATM withdrawals?
Feedback on answer:
Thank you for your feedback! Your input is very important in helping us improve answers in the future.