Where is the oldest city?

The title of "world's oldest city" is contested, but Jericho in the Palestinian Territories is among the strongest claimants with evidence of continuous habitation dating back to approximately 9000 BCE (about 11,000 years ago). Archaeological evidence includes a stone wall and tower from 8000 BCE — among the oldest known man-made structures. Damascus, Syria, also claims a history of over 11,000 years, with evidence of settlement from around 9000 BCE. Other ancient contenders include Aleppo (Syria, ~8000 BCE), Byblos (Lebanon, ~7000 BCE), and Athens (Greece, ~5000 BCE). The key distinction is between continuous habitation versus earliest known settlement. Çatalhöyük in Turkey (~7500 BCE) is one of the oldest known urban settlements but has been uninhabited for millennia.