4.Susa, Iran – 6,300 years old

Susa no longer exists today, but Shush is a small town that is more or less on the site of the ancient city. We can therefore see a certain continuity. Susa dates from 8000 BC was the capital of the Elamite Empire before it was captured by the Assyrians. It was then taken by the Achaemenids Empire under Cyrus the Greek. It is the city where the play of the Persians of Aeschylus takes place, an Athenian tragedy that is the oldest play in the history of the theatre. The modern city, Shushan, has a population of around 65,000 people and is also mentioned in the biblical books of Esther.