Africa is known as the cradle of humanity and the history of cities is as old as the human history.In this regard, I found it important to share with you the history of some old African cities in the history .

1. Ancient Africa was home to many great cities. These include the Egyptian cities of Memphis
and Thebes as well as Carthage, home of the great warrior Hannibal, and Alexandria, known
for its legendary library and many others.
Ancient Africa
The continent of Africa has been inhabited by humans for hundreds of thousands of years.
For a large amount of that time, most of the people of Africa lived in nomadic tribes, but
Ancient Africa was also home to many great cities. These cities primarily thrived along the
northern coast of Africa, near the Mediterranean Sea, which separates Africa, Europe, and
Asia. These cities often grew from trade along the sea and frequently came into contact with
inhabitants of European and Asian cities.
I.ANCIENT AFRICAN CITIES OF NORTH AFRICA
The most famous ancient North African cities are Memphis and Thebes, which at different
times served as the capital cities for the kingdoms of Ancient Egypt. However, Ancient Africa
also had other famous cities including Carthage, whose famed warrior Hannibal successfully
attacked Rome. And the city of Alexandria later became an important port city and home to a
legendary library.
ANCIENT CITIES OF AFRICA

2. 1.MEMPHİS CITY
The city of Memphis was the center of the civilization that we now call Ancient Egypt and is
home to the Pyramids of Giza, the most famous symbols of Ancient Egypt. It is located at the
mouth of the Nile delta, the area in which the great Nile river opens into the Mediterranean
Sea. This is an important location because its proximity to the Mediterranean made it an
important trading port and the fertile land around the delta made it perfect for agriculture.
The Pyramids at Giza

3. During the Old Kingdom period, Memphis was both the economic and political center of
Egypt, home to the pharaohs, the monarchical rulers of Egypt, and their court. After the
pharaohs moved south to Thebes in the Middle Kingdom, Memphis remained Egypt's main
trading port.
2.THEBES CITY
Thebes essentially became Egypt's capital city beginning with the Middle Kingdom. It is
located farther south down the Nile from Memphis. It also became Egypt's main religious
center and is home to temples and other sacred sites that were important parts of Egypt's
religious practices, including the famous Luxor complex and the temple at Karnak. It would
serve as Egypt's political capital on and off throughout the Middle and New Kingdoms.
3.CARTHAGE CITY
Though Egypt was the most dominant African civilization throughout most of the ancient
period, the city of Carthage, in modern-day Tunisia, rose to prominence in the first-century
BCE and became a major power in the Mediterranean region, competing with Rome, which
was then beginning to dominate the region. It would eventually come under Rome's control,
making it Rome's first outpost in Africa.
Carthage is best remembered today for its general Hannibal, who fought Rome in the
Second Punic War.

4. Ancient City of Carthage.
Hannibal's famous defeat of Rome after crossing the Alps and attacking from the north,
instead of coming across the Mediterranean from the South, led to a 15-year period of
Carthaginian domination of much of the Italian peninsula.

5. Carthage National Museum representation of the Punic City,Tunisia
However, Rome defeated Carthage in the Third Punic War, which ended with the destruction
of much of the city at the Battle of Carthage and enslavement of thousands of Carthaginians.

6. 4.ALEXANDRİA CITY
The last of the great African cities on the Mediterranean is Alexandria, which was founded by
the Greek general and conqueror Alexander the Great in 331 BCE. Alexander's conquest of
much of North Africa and western Asia led to the spread of Greek culture and religion, giving
rise to what is known as Hellenic civilization throughout the area. Alexandria was for many
centuries the center of Hellenic civilization in Africa.
Alexandria is a port city and became a center of trade in the region. To accommodate the
many ships coming in and out, it built its great Lighthouse, which was one of the Wonders of
the Ancient World.
II.SUB-SAHARAN AFRICAN ANCIENT CITIES
Sub Saharan Africa has some very old cities older than many famous cities.
Most old African cities are founded on East Coast of East Africa as they were being used as
trading points and eventually attracting settlement. These cities are old but not as old Middle
Eastern cities.

7. Apart from East ,Coast West Africa have some cities which thrived out of wealth from the
empires.
The following are list of continually inhabited cities in Sub Saharan Africa.
1.BENİN CİTY
The City was founded in 400 BC. It acted as the ‘capital’ of Benin Empire.
Benin City, originally known as Edo, was once the capital of a pre-colonial African empire
located in what is now southern Nigeria. The Benin empire was one of the oldest and most
highly developed states in west Africa, dating back to the 11th century.

8. -The Guinness Book of Records (1974 edition described the walls of Benin City and its
surrounding kingdom as the world’s largest earthworks carried out prior to the mechanical
era.
-New Scientist’s Fred Pearce described Benin City’s walls as they were at one point “four
times longer than the Great Wall of China, and consumed a hundred times more material
than the Great Pyramid of Cheops”.
-Situated on a plain, Benin City was enclosed by massive walls in the south and deep
ditches in the north. Beyond the city walls, numerous further walls were erected that
separated the surroundings of the capital into around 500 distinct villages.
Fig:Great Wall of Benin constructed beween 800-1400 AD

9. -Benin City was also one of the first cities to have a semblance of street lighting.
Huge metal lamps, many feet high, were built and placed around the city, especially near the
king’s palace. Fuelled by palm oil, their burning wicks were lit at night to provide illumination
for traffic to and from the palace.
2.IFE, CITY OF YORUBA LAND
Ife (aka Ile-Ife) was an ancient
African city which flourished between the
11th and 15th century CE in what is today
Nigeria in West Africa.
Ife was the capital and principal religious
centre of the Yoruba kingdom of Ife, which
prospered thanks to trade connections
with other West African kingdoms. Ife is
particularly famous today for the
magnificent metal sculptures its artists
produced which include serene-looking
human heads so masterfully crafted that
Europeans once wrongly considered them
the work of another civilization.
Yoruba People Art in the Ancient Ife city.

10. ILE-IFE:The sacred Yoruba City.
3.KANO CİTY
Kano, also called Kano City, city, capital of Kano state, northern Nigeria, located on the
Jakara River. It was traditionally founded by Kano, a blacksmith of the Gaya tribe who
in ancient times came to Dalla Hill in the locality in search of iron.
The discovery of stone tools indicates prehistoric settlement of the site, which was
selected for the capital of the Hausa state of Kano in the reign (1095–1134) of King
Gajemasu (Gijimasu).

11. The Ancient Kano City Walls were
ancient defensive walls built to protect
the inhabitants of the ancient city of
Kano. The wall was initially built from
1095 through 1134 and completed in
the middle of the 14th century. The
Ancient Kano City Walls were described
as "the most impressive monument in
West Africa"
Fig:Kano city walls.
Construction on the famed city wall began during his reign
and continued in the following centuries. The wall has
more than a dozen gates and is about 12 miles (20 km)
long, 40 feet (12 metres) wide at the base, and 30 to 50
feet high.
Fig:Plan of City of Kano
1857 Kano lithogragh.

12. 4.ZANZİBAR
Zanzibar Island was settled 20,000 years ago by Bantus from mainland Africa. The old Town
started growing from from houses built by timber in 1050 then later by Coral mud then by
13th century the houses were built by stones with muds. According to Tom Middlton
Zanzibar had no Arab influence until 14th century when they settled and build the town to
what is now.
Zanzibar was important trading point
by Persians, Arabs and Swahili people.
Indians is believed to come from time
to time.
Zanzibar architecture is a mixture of
Swahili and Arab architecture with
Arab architecture dominating.

13. 5.SOFALA CITY
Sofala, at present known as Nova Sofala, was founded in 700 AD as the chief Seaport of
Mwenemupata kingdom whose capital was at Mount Fura. It is located on the Sofala Bank
in Sofala Province of Mozambique.
Sofala architecture,stone city.Sofala Ancient city in 1683 AD
It played a key role in trading between Swahilis, Persians and Arabs. It's one of many
swahili coast towns. They also traded with Zimbabwe kingdom.

14. 6.PATE CITY
Like much of the Swahili Coast, Pate's history was marked
by a steady transition from agricultural communities in
the early first millennium into a specialized, urban trading
society around the 10th century, likely earlier.
Despite myths to the contrary, Pate was neither an
Arab nor Persian colony, but an African town
frequented by trading Arabs, Persians, Indians, and
others. It was the centre of the Pate sultanate from the
13th–19th centuries.
7.MOMBASA CITY
The founding of Mombasa is associated with two rulers: Mwana Mkisi and Shehe
Mvita. According to oral history and medieval commentaries, Shehe Mvita superseded
the dynasty of Mwana Mkisi and established his own town on Mombasa Island in 900
AD. Mombasa is the second largest city in Kenya.
Mombasa thrived as a trading point between Indians, Arabs, Persians and Swahili
people,trading Ivory, spices etc.

15. Fig:Fort Jesus Ramparts in the Ancient city of Mombasa

16. 8.KUMASİ CITY
The city rose to prominence in 1695 when it
became capital of the Ashanti Confederacy
due to the activities of its ruler Osei Tutu.
In 1874 large part of the city was destroyed
by British troops during Anglo Ashanti War
9. LAGOS CITY
Initially established as a war camp for soldiers
from the Kingdom of Benin. Founded in 16th
century
Lagos wasn't of importance like Benin city but
the city grew and traded with Portuguese and
other Africans of Central Africa.
Lagos, which means "lakes", was a name given
to the settlement by the Portuguese.

17. 10. AXUM CITY
Ethiopian city founded in 400 BC as the
capital of Kingdom of Aksum. This is one of
the oldest cities in Sub Saharan Africa.
Aksum had very successful architecture and
many of their creations are present upto
date. They even had their written language
Geez which is still being used upto date
11. TİMBUKTU CITY
Founded in 12th century and later served as
Capital of Mali empire. The city was seized by
Tuareg tribes and later expanded it to Soghai
empire.
Timbuktu had an Islamic University, it attracted
scholars from all over Muslim world and was
very rich due to Gold, salt, ivory and slaves.

18. 12.BERBERA
This Somali city was founded in 400 BC. In
antiquity, Berbera was part of a chain of
commercial port cities along the Somali
seaboard. During the early modern period,
Berbera was the most important place of trade
in the Somali Peninsula
Fig:Berbera Port
Fig:Ancient Building in Berbera city.

19. Djenné-Djenno is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in the Niger River Valley in the
country of Mali. Literally translated to "ancient Djenné", it is the original site of both Djenné
and Mali and is considered to be among the oldest urbanized centers and the best-known
archaeology site in sub-Saharan Africa.
The site is known to have been occupied from 250 B.C. to 900 A.D. The city is believed to
have been abandoned and moved where the current city is located due to the spread of
Islam and the building of the Great Mosque of Djenné.
13.DJENNÉ-DJENNO
Fig:Old city of Djenne.

20. Master piece of vernacular and mud architecture of The Great Mosque
in the old city of Djenne-Djenno(Mali today).