DISCUSS: Most Historic City

[the spliff fairy]

Kyoto and Nara may have been modelled on Chang'An in layout, and imported alot of cultural traits, as did the whole region at the start but that is not the be all and end all of it. Japan (in)famously went from a nation of traders, explorers and pirates to one of isolationism - insular, inward looking and defensive. This period - unlike others in history - marked not a stage of degradation but one of a flowering of Japanese culture, arts and institutions, despite being racked by internal disputes, power struggles and civil wars in isolation. It produced a phenomenal amount of art, and architecture, the world's largest cities and building complexes in the world at the time, and possibly the world's most sophisticated cuisines and traditions.

Alot is said of the ending of this period of isolation in the 1860s, when Commodore Perry's troops showed up in Tokyo Bay with his 'black ships', and the following introduction of Westernism, industrialisation and a foreign policy. But it was not one that is so painted as modernism arriving at a forgotten backwater - Tokyo at the time was larger than almost any Western city, was enormously sophisticated with vast entertainment, court and merchant districts, and brimming with history. In short Edo was the crystallisation of what a culture can become in terms of uniqueness and size.

Look at Kyoto today, acknowledged as one of the world's great cities still, saved from wartime bombing - and with over 3000 temples and shrines for starters, steeped in history and tradition. This is far more than has survived in modern day Xian for comparison - to dismiss it as some backwater or copycat is entirely missing the point.

[TuzlaBoy]

Mostar city Bosnia and Herzegovina 1463 (Medieval age).

image hosted on flickr


image hosted on flickr


image hosted on flickr

[haikiller11]

Originally Posted by the spliff fairy

Look at Kyoto today, acknowledged as one of the world's great cities still, saved from wartime bombing - and with over 3000 temples and shrines for starters, steeped in history and tradition. This is far more than has survived in modern day Xian for comparison - to dismiss it as some backwater or copycat is entirely missing the point.

Kyoto may have a huge number of temples and shrines and whatever but it scores zero when compare to European cities like Venice, Rome, Paris or Praha. too bad we Asian don't have the idea of preserving stuffs

P/s: Back to the main topic, Rome is definitely the winner here. Even the great cities of Babylon in the Persian empire and Chang'an in the Chinese empire can't stand against the glory of Rome

[Guajiro1]

I would say Damasco in Syria is the most historical city, since it's the oldest continiously inhabited city. Settlements there exist since between 9000-6300 years BC.

[the spliff fairy]

Originally Posted by haikiller11

P/s: Back to the main topic, Rome is definitely the winner here. Even the great cities of Babylon in the Persian empire and Chang'an in the Chinese empire can't stand against the glory of Rome

Chang'An had either the same or double the population depending on the highest estimates on Rome, was 5.5x larger in area and had the largest palaces ever built, each one multiple times the current record holder, the Forbidden City in Beijing. Plus numerous smaller ones in each style of the conquered nations of the empire. Just two of them (out of 7, Weiyang Palace and the West Palace) would have covered 80% of Ancient Rome. The largest one out of the lot was 8 sq km, or including grounds, 12 sq km - 87% of Rome.




Daming Palace






The city had a 26km city wall (second largest ever built, after Nanjing). It was bisected by 6 major streets, ranging from 82ft -500ft wide. It had 111 Buddhist monasteries, 41 Daoist abbeys, 38 Family shrines and 2 Official temples, plus 7 Official religious complexes including churches, mosques and synagogues for the multicultural population.

Not to put down how impressive Rome was, but Chang'An was definitely comparable.

[the spliff fairy]

[Cho oyo]

Constantinople

[vraem]

lima, peru

[TowerVerre:)]

I miss Berlin in much lists. It is a very historic city since the time of Napoleon.