# World cities of the past



## ladolcevita (Aug 11, 2005)

Look said:


> Ok, meanwhile I made my list:
> 
> 500 BC:
> Thebes, Babylon, Athens, then probably one indian and chinese city should follow (Luoyang and Rajgir?).
> ...


The list is good, but for those who studied Chinese history, how could you forget Chang'an (today's Xi'an)? It has been the capital of Western Zhou, Qin, Han, Tang, a total of 13 dynasties. During the Western Han Dynasty (202 B.C.E. to 9 C.E.) and Tang Dynasty (618 C.E. to 907 C.E.) it was among the most populous cities in the world as well as an important financial and trade center. Chang'an is also the Eastern end of the Ancient Silk Road.

500 B.C.:
Thebes, Babylon, Athens, Pataliputra, Chang'an, and some more

1 AD:
Rome (first true world city), Luoyang (only because the Eastern Han Dynasty moved its capital from Chang'an to Luoyang in 25 C.E.), Ctesiphon(?), Pataliputra(?)

500 AD:
Constantinople, Ctesiphon(?), Chang'an, Pataliputra(?), 

1000 AD: 
Paris(maybe not yet, but since XII-XIII century), Constantinople, Baghdad, Kaifeng, Angkor, Hangzhou

1500 AD: 
Paris, Seville, Lisbon(?), Cairo, Istanbul, Beijing, Vijayangar(?)

1600: Paris, Madrid or Seville (whichever whas spanish economical center), Amsterdam(?), Cairo, Istanbul, Beijing

1700: 
London, Paris, Vienna(?), Beijing, Delhi

1800: 
London, Paris, Petersburg(?), Vienna(?), Beijing or Guangzhou (whichever was trade center of China)

1900: 
London, Paris, New York, Berlin


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## Muyangguniang (Sep 6, 2004)

Bruxelles(since EU)


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## TalB (Jun 8, 2005)

Jerusalem has been important city to the world since ancient times, and it is sort of considered essential to Jews, Christians, and Muslims today as it was then.


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## zulu69 (Sep 5, 2003)

There are so many great cities in the ancient world alot overlooked by many.
What i find amusing is the lack of reference to Carthage, a city once so great that the Romans felt that it will shadow their city and so burnt it to the ground and sewed the ground with salt so nothing can grow. Actually so revered that they refounded it with a settlement later and called it New Carthage. This all done despite the fact that the Romans never got so close to annihilation in their history.


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## Kuusel (Aug 9, 2005)

ladolcevita said:


> 1000 AD:
> Paris(maybe not yet, but since XII-XIII century), Constantinople, Baghdad, Kaifeng, Angkor, Hangzhou
> 
> 1500 AD:
> ...



1100 AD:
Constantinople, Venice, Baghdad.

1450:
Paris, Lisbon, Venice, Baghdad.

1600:
Paris, London, Lisbon, Venice.

1750:
London, Paris, Vienna, Hamburg.

1850:
London, New York, Hamburg, Vienna, St. Petersburg, Paris.

1900:
London, New York, Paris, Vienna, Geneva, Berlin.

1925:
London, New York, Berlin, Chicago, Detroit.

1940:
New York.

1960:
New York, Chicago, London.

1980:
New York, Zurich, Vienna, Chicago, Paris, London, Frankfurt.

2000:
New York, Zurich, Vienna, Chicago, Paris, London, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, Melbourne? Boston? Munich? Stockholm? Helsinki? Copenhagen? Toronto?


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## willo (Jan 3, 2005)

ladolcevita said:


> The list is good, but for those who studied Chinese history, how could you forget Chang'an (today's Xi'an)? It has been the capital of Western Zhou, Qin, Han, Tang, a total of 13 dynasties. During the Western Han Dynasty (202 B.C.E. to 9 C.E.) and Tang Dynasty (618 C.E. to 907 C.E.) it was among the most populous cities in the world as well as an important financial and trade center. Chang'an is also the Eastern end of the Ancient Silk Road.
> 
> 500 B.C.:
> Thebes, Babylon, Athens, Pataliputra, Chang'an, and some more
> ...




agree, but i shpuld add cordoba at 1000 ad


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## darth vader (Aug 31, 2004)

Kuusel said:


> 1100 AD:
> Constantinople, Venice, Baghdad.
> 
> 1450:
> ...


in the 17th century Amsterdam was the welthiest city on earth


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## Köbtke (Jun 29, 2005)

Kuusel said:


> 1100 AD:
> Constantinople, Venice, Baghdad.
> 
> 1450:
> ...


Zürich and Vienna today? I'm sorry, but I think your modern lists are way too long. I wouldn't call Zürich and Vienna world cities, as I wouldn't call Copenhagen, Stockholm, Helsinki and so forth, world cities.


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## Fallout (Sep 11, 2002)

Kuusel said:


> 1100 AD:
> Constantinople, Venice, Baghdad.
> 
> 1450:
> ...



Nice list, but not too much europe-centered? In 18. and 19. cent. asian nations were in period of decline, but in 1450 and 1600 ther should be some asian city (probably Beijing) on the list and again Tokyo in 20. cent.

Helsinki or Copenhagen world cities? C'mon...


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## Bitxofo (Feb 3, 2005)

In Roman times it's said that Tarraco and Emerita Augusta reached 1 million inhabitants, they were capitals of Iberian peninsula, the Roman Hispania at that time. 
Now they are in Spain and the are called Tarragona and Mérida.

Cordova had 500.000 inhabitants by the year 1000, during the Califate.

Barcelona was very important in 15th century, capital of Aragon Kingdom.
Seville was very important in 16th century, gate to the Americas.
:wink2:


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## Effer (Jun 9, 2005)

Rome.


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## italimex (May 28, 2005)

Mexico City-Tenochtitlan


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## Butcher (Dec 13, 2004)

Before Christ, it would have been Timbuctu, Cairo, Athens, Babylon, and Rome. Then, Constantinople became really big. I would say between 1450 and 1750, Paris would hold the title of world city. Then with the British empire growing, london would have been the world city from 1750 to world war II. Then, New York became the largest city. Now, New York, London, TOkyo, and Paris all share the title of top spot.


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## Joris Goedhart (Jan 20, 2004)

Kuusel said:


> 1100 AD:
> Constantinople, Venice, Baghdad.
> 
> 1450:
> ...


Around 1700 was Amsterdam the most important City in the world, as capital of the United Kingdom of The Netherlands. Which was at that moment the worldpower.


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