🇸🇾 Syria · Ancient city
Jebel Aruda
Late Uruk (LC5) · Uruk colony cult centre
Uruk hill-citadel (c.3500–3300 BCE) perched 160 m above Euphrates on limestone jebel opposite Habuba — sacred twin controlling Uruk colony from above.
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🇸🇾 Syria · Ancient city
Late Uruk (LC5) · Uruk colony cult centre
Uruk hill-citadel (c.3500–3300 BCE) perched 160 m above Euphrates on limestone jebel opposite Habuba — sacred twin controlling Uruk colony from above.
🇲🇽 Mexico · Ancient city
Formative to Classic 500 BCE–850 CE (Monte Albán I–V; apogee IIIa 250–500 CE, IIIb–IV 500–850) · Zapotec (Beni Zaa); later Mixtec reuse
Zapotec capital on artificially levelled 400 m hilltop (6 km²) commanding Oaxaca Valley confluence: Main Plaza (300×150 m), South and North Platforms, Pyramid of the Dancers (Temple I) with Danzantes…
🇨🇳 China · Ancient city
Chalcolithic (regional) · Chalcolithic
Sacred Henan Necropolis B — Henan, Erlitou (54-14) at Henan, Erlitou, China is a Chalcolithic (regional) ancient city of the Chalcolithic tradition, built c.
🇪🇬 Egypt · Ancient city
Ptolemaic to Roman · Ptolemaic Roman Egyptian
Berenice Troglodytica Red Sea Port at Red Sea, Berenice, Egypt is a Ptolemaic to Roman ancient city of the Ptolemaic Roman Egyptian tradition, built c.
🇪🇬 Egypt · Ancient city
Bronze Age (regional) · Bronze Age
Little Saqqara Platform A — Saqqara, Serapeum (59-27) at Saqqara, Serapeum, Egypt is a Bronze Age (regional) ancient city of the Bronze Age tradition, built c.
🇲🇽 Mexico · Pyramid
Late Classic Maya, c.550-850 CE (Río Bec, Late Classic) · Maya (Río Bec)
Río Bec Group V Structure V-N central pyramid: 20×15 m base, 18 m high with false twin towers, steep stair (55°) to ornamented temple with Chaak masks and medial moulding.
🇰🇭 Cambodia · Ancient city
Early Historic (regional) · Early Historic
Western Siem Reap Platform A — Siem Reap (54-28) at Siem Reap, Cambodia is a Early Historic (regional) ancient city of the Early Historic tradition, built c.
🇲🇽 Mexico · Ancient city
Preclassic to Postclassic 300 BCE–1450 CE (peak Classic 600–800, Terminal 800–1100) · Maya (eastern Lowlands, Sian Ka'an sphere)
Vast lowland Maya city of ~80 km² with ~6,500 structures linked by 16 white-road sacbeob (raised plaster causeways totalling 70 km, longest Sacbe 1 100 km to Yaxuná near Chichén Itzá, 10 m wide),…
🇪🇬 Egypt · Ancient city
Old Kingdom to Islamic (2600 BCE–8th c CE; peak Middle and New Kingdom) · Ancient Egyptian / Greek
Thoth metropolis 15 ha with twin pylon-city and baboon colossi of Thutmose III in quartzite.
🇬🇹 Guatemala · Ancient city
Late Classic Maya (550–900 CE) · Maya (Dolores valley – Petén southeastern)
Late Classic Maya kingdom capital (600–900 CE) in southeastern Petén mountains: 120 structures organized in 2 plazas, main Acropolis pyramid 18 m high, Group 2 palace, Structure 104 vaulted causeway…
🇵🇪 Peru · Pyramid
Late Intermediate to Late Horizon (Lambayeque–Chimú–Inca) · Lambayeque / Chimú / Inca
Northern extension of Túcume’s Huaca Larga — 150 m platform 20 m high c.1450 CE showing progressive northward growth of 26-pyramid valley city.
🇲🇱 Mali · Ancient city
Iron Age (regional) · Iron Age
Inner Djenné-Jeno Necropolis Central — Djenné-Jeno (57-03) at Djenné-Jeno, Mali is a Iron Age (regional) ancient city of the Iron Age tradition, built c.
🇱🇹 Lithuania · Ancient city
Mesolithic to Medieval (c.7000 BCE–1390 CE) · Baltic (Lithuanian)
UNESCO World Heritage ensemble in the Neris valley 35 km NW of Vilnius, with five hillforts (Aukuro, Mindaugo, Lizdeikos, Pilies and Kriveikiškis), unfortified settlements, burial fields and medieval…
🇪🇬 Egypt · Ancient city
Predynastic to Ptolemaic to Late Antique · Egyptian (Lower Egyptian Delta)
Delta metropolis and cult centre of ram god Banebdjedet (Greek Mendes), capital of 16th Nome and briefly capital of 29th Dynasty (Nepherites I, c.399–380 BCE) under Persian-period independence.
🇮🇶 Iraq · Ancient city
Middle to Neo-Assyrian (1350–612 BCE) · Assyrian
Second capital of Assyria after Assur under Ashurnasirpal II (883 BCE), who built the Northwest Palace with 600 m of alabaster lamassu and bas-reliefs (Black Obelisk of Shalmaneser III showing King…
🇪🇬 Egypt · Ancient city
Iron Age to Medieval · Meroitic / Nubian
Qasr Ibrim Fortress Nubia Island at Nubia, Qasr Ibrim, Egypt is a Iron Age to Medieval ancient city of the Meroitic / Nubian tradition, built c.
🇲🇱 Mali · Ancient city
Chalcolithic (regional) · Chalcolithic
Sacred Djenné-Jeno Village West — Djenné-Jeno (57-01) at Djenné-Jeno, Mali is a Chalcolithic (regional) ancient city of the Chalcolithic tradition, built c.
🇸🇾 Syria · Ancient city
Early Bronze to Mitanni to Neo-Assyrian (Jezirah) · Hurrian Mitanni → Aramaean Sikani → Assyrian
Spring-mound town Sikani (Mitanni to Neo-Assyrian) candidate for Mitanni capital Washukanni (hot debate) — 90 ha lower town + 8 ha citadel mound at main Khabur karst spring (Ras al-Ain).
🇸🇩 Sudan · Ancient port
Middle Kingdom Nubian fortresses to Modern (1860 BCE–1964 CE) · Egyptian Middle Kingdom / Nubian / British colonial
Wadi Halfa is the submerged 1902–1964 port and fort at Second Cataract, predecessor to modern town now under Lake Nasser (moved 1964 UNESCO rescue).
🇲🇽 Mexico · Pyramid
Late Classic Maya, c.500-800 CE (Río Bec, Late Classic) · Maya (Río Bec)
Xpujil Structure I: 19 m high Río Bec pyramid with three solid towers each bearing false temple with Chenés mask, atop unified base with 12 doorways leading to 12 rooms on two levels.
🇵🇪 Peru · Pyramid
Initial Period (Casma–Sechín culture) · Sechín / Casma (Initial Period)
Casma-Sechín satellite pyramid at Huaca Soledad — 35 m platform pyramid 8 m high c.1600 BCE, part of Sechín Alto 300 m cluster.
🇮🇱 Israel · Ancient city
Natufian to PPNB · Judean Hills Neolithic
Motza Highway Mega-site PPNB Jerusalem at Judean Hills, Motza, Israel is a Natufian to PPNB ancient city of the Judean Hills Neolithic tradition, built c.
🇲🇹 Malta · Ancient city
Medieval (regional) · Medieval
Sacred Hypogeum Citadel Outer — Hypogeum, Paola (59-37) at Hypogeum, Paola, Malta is a Medieval (regional) ancient city of the Medieval tradition, built c.
🇸🇩 Sudan · Pyramid
New Kingdom, Amarna Period, c.1350 BCE (Akhenaten / Amenhotep IV) · Ancient Egyptian (Akhenaten)
Sesebi walled town on west bank between 2nd-3rd Cataracts: rectangular fortified settlement 270×200 m with Aten temple (Akhenaten) later converted to Amun temple by Seti I.