It is considered the cradle of Western civilization and the birthplace of democracy. Did You Know?ĭuring the second Persian invasion of Greece led by Xerxes during the late 5 th century BCE, Thebes actually sided with the Persians and famously ended the power of Sparta the Battle of Leuctra in 371 BCE.Īrea: 38.964 km² (15.044 sq mi)-municipality 412 km² (159 sq mi)-urban 2,928.71 km² (1,130.784 sq mi)-metroĬurrent Population: 664,068-municipality 3,090,508-urban 3,781,274-metro (2012)Īthens is undoubtedly the most historical city in Greece and one of the most important cities ever in Western history. This dominance was short-lived, however, and today Thebes is a much quieter city than cosmopolitan Athens. Thebes peaked in the early 4 th century when it was the most powerful city in Greece. With Athens as its rival during ancient times, Thebes was also influential. Not only does Thebes boast real Greek history, the city was the setting for many Greek myths, including the stories of Cadmus, Oedipus, Dionysus, Heracles (Hercules), and many more. Thebes is about as old as Athens and has been inhabited since around 3000 BCE. Did You Know?Ĭulturally, Cyprus is Greek, however, the country is actually an independent nation and a part of the European Union.Īrea: 830.112 km² (320.508 sq mi)-municipality 321.015 km² (123.945 sq mi)-municipal unitĬurrent Population: 36,477-municipality 25,845-municipal unit (2011)Īlong with Athens, Thebes is one of the greatest historical cities in Greece. However, Nicosia also serves as the capital of Northern Cyprus, which is only recognized by Turkey and seen as occupied territory by the rest of the world. Technically, Nicosia is the capital of the internationally recognized Republic of Cyprus. Today, Nicosia is still facing some conflict as the city is split in half and claimed by the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities. Like all of the ancient cities on this list, Nicosia has been occupied by many different people over the years. It is the only Bronze Age settlement in Cyprus that has survived to this day. Nicosia has been the capital of Cyprus since the 10 th century CE, but the city’s history dates back to around 2500 BCE. Location: Mesoria Plain, Republic of CyprusĬurrent Population: 116,392-capital city (North and South) 326,739-urban (North and South)