The National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, says the country is still losing 400,000 barrels of crude oil daily to local and international thieves despite efforts to end the menace.
Ribadu confirmed this when he led a presidential delegation to inspect oil and gas facilities at Owaza in Abia and Odogwa in Etche Local Government Area of Rivers on Saturday.
He said the activities of oil thieves and pipeline vandals had impacted negatively on the nation’s economy and were partly responsible for the rising cost of living in the country.
“It’s unfortunate that few individuals would steal our common resources, and in the process cause unbelievable loss to both the nation, communities and the people.
“Nigeria has the capacity to produce 2 million barrels of crude daily, but we are currently producing less than 1.6 million barrels due to theft and vandalism of pipelines.
“So, we are talking about 400,000 barrels of crude oil going to waste with few criminals and economic saboteurs not even getting much out of it,” he said.
Ribadu said the operators of artisanal refineries collect a small quantity of crude oil when they broke the pipelines while larger volumes of oil were spilled on the environment.
“The value of 400,000 barrels of oil today is about 4 million dollars, and every day, we lose this amount because of this irresponsible behaviour.
“If you multiply 4 million dollars by 365 days (one year), you will see that it is a lot of money running into billions of dollars.
“Currently, the country is in desperate need of money as the Naira is continuously losing its value because we earn less money.
“If we earn more money, it will not only help strengthen our currency but reflect in everything, including cost of living in the country,” he added.
The NSA said that the President Bola Tinubu administration was concerned about the development and was already taking actionable steps to address the matter.
He said huge investments made by the government in building infrastructures for the common good of all were being destroyed by few individuals, and in the process, destroying the environment.
Ribadu called for a united front to tackle oil theft and end decades of attacks on the nation’s oil and gas infrastructures.
“We are working hard with the security forces and those employed by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited to secure our facilities and end this madness called oil theft,” he said.
The presidential delegation with the NSA were the Minister of Defence, Baduru Abubakar, and Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Christopher Musa.
Others included the Chief of Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Hassan Abubakar; Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, and Minister of State (Oil), Petroleum Resources, Heineken Lokpobiri.
The Minister of State (Gas), Petroleum Resources, Ekperipe Ekpo, and senior management officials of the NNPCL as well as other top security personnel were part of tbe team.
The Democratic Republic of Congo’s ruling party, the Union for Democracy and Social Progress (UDPS) has confirmed Félix Tshisekedi’s candidacy for the 2023 presidential election at an extraordinary congress in Kinshasa.
Tshisekedi, who has been in power since January 2019, had earlier confirmed that he would run for re-election and the party also voted Tshisekedi as their head for the next five years.
In December, Félix Tshisekedi will face several candidates, including Moïse Katumbi.
His main competitor who is the leader of the opposition party Martin Fayulu said he would not run if proper changes are not made on the current electoral commission.
For the national legislative elections alone, the UDPS is fielding 495 candidates for 500 available seats while for the provincial legislative elections, the party is proposing candidates in all constituencies.
Human Rights Watch recently accused the government of Tshisekedi of “repressing” and “intimidating” the opposition, four months ahead of the presidential elections.
The New York-based group cited the UN Joint Human Rights Office which has noted “political and electoral violence, arbitrary arrests and detentions, abductions and threats targeting political opponents.”
The Democratic Republic of Congo is struggling to quell an armed rebellion by the M23 insurgency, which Kinshasa and several Western governments say is backed by neighboring Rwanda.
Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan have resumed their years-long negotiations Sunday over the controversial dam Ethiopia is building on the Nile River’s main tributary.
The Egyptian Irrigation Ministry announced the new round of talks in Cairo. Irrigation Minister Hani Sewilam said Egypt wants a legally binding agreement on how the giant dam is operated and filled.
The resumption of talks came after President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Ethiopia Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said last month that they aim to reach an agreement within four months on the operation of the $4.6 billion Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on the Blue Nile.
The Blue Nile meets the White Nile in Sudan’s capital of Khartoum, before winding northward through Egypt to the Mediterranean Sea.
Tensions have heightened between Cairo and Addis Ababa after the Ethiopian government began filling the dam’s reservoir before reaching an agreement.
Egypt fears a devastating impact if the dam is operated without taking its needs into account, calling it an existential threat as it relies almost entirely on the Nile to supply water for agriculture and its more than 100 million people.
Key questions remain about how much water Ethiopia will release downstream if a multi-year drought occurs and how the three countries will resolve any future disputes. Ethiopia has rejected binding arbitration at the final stage of the project.
Sudan wants Ethiopia to coordinate and share data on the dam’s operation to avoid flooding and protect its own power-generating dams on the Blue Nile, the main tributary of the Nile. The dam is located just 10 kilometers from the Sudanese border.
Gabon’s government has announced a nationwide curfew as well as cut off internet access as voting in major national elections was wrapping up Saturday evening.
Gabon’s communications minister, Rodrigue Mboumba Bissawou, announced on state television that there would a nightly curfew from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m, adding that internet access would be restricted indefinitely as there had been calls for violence and spreading of disinformation.
The announcement came after voters cast ballots to elect new local leaders, national legislators and Gabon’s next president.
Incumbent President Ali Bongo Ondimba was seeking a third seven-year term and to continue a 55-year political dynasty. Bongo came to power in 2009 after the death of his father, Omar Bongo, who ruled the country for 41 years.
Bongo won his current term in office by a narrow margin in 2016 amid violent protests. This year, the opposition united in favor of his main challenger, economics professor Albert Ondo Ossa, one week before Saturday’s elections.
Ossa’s platform revolves around breaking Gabon out of the status quo. He said that if elected, he would dissolve the National Assembly, redraw the electoral map and organize a new legislative election, with a goal of forming a government committed to addressing economic inequality.
Around 847,000 people were eligible to cast ballots Saturday. Voters in Libreville, Gabon’s capital, complained of polling stations opening late. Voting was scheduled to begin in the morning, but many election sites had failed to open as of 2 p.m.
In anticipation of post-electoral violence, many people in the capital went to visit family in other parts of the country or left Gabon altogether.
Others stockpiled food or bolstered security in their homes.
Tens of thousands of people have rallied in Niger Republic in support of last month’s coup, a day after the country’s new military rulers gave France’s ambassador to Niger 48 hours to leave the country.
The Seyni Kountche stadium, the largest in Niger with a capacity of 30,000 seats, was two-thirds full and the sound of vuvuzelas rang out, according to local journalists.
Some citizens insist that the country fully supports the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland (CNSP), led by General Abdourahamane Tiani which seized power after overthrowing President Mohamed Bazoum’s government on July 26.
On Friday, Niger’s foreign ministry announced that French ambassador Sylvain Itte had 48 hours to leave, claiming he refused to meet with the new rulers and citing French government actions that were “contrary to the interests of Niger”.
Paris has since rejected the demand, saying that “the putschists do not have the authority to make this request.”
The West African bloc has applied sanctions against the new regime and threatened to use military means to remove it if the new rulers do not hand back power to Bazoum.
Efforts to find a diplomatic solution are continuing, however, with Molly Phee, the top US diplomat for sub-Saharan Africa, visiting Nigeria to meet ECOWAS officials.
The US State Department said Phee was also consulting senior officials in Benin, Ivory Coast, Senegal and Togo — fellow members of the ECOWAS regional bloc.
The new rulers in Niamey accuse ECOWAS of being in France’s pocket.
France has 1,500 soldiers based in Niger who had been helping Bazoum in the fight against jihadist forces that have been active in the country for years.
Russian authorities have confirmed the death of Wagner Group chief Yevgeny Prigozhin, putting to rest any doubts about the mercenary leader turned mutineer.
Russian Investigative Committee spokeswoman Svetlana Petrenko said in a statement that Genetic testing on the 10 bodies recovered at the crash site conform to the manifest for the flight.
The Investigative Committee did not indicate what might have caused the business jet to plummet from the sky halfway between Moscow and St. Petersburg, Prigozhin’s hometown.
But the crash’s timing raised suspicions of a possible Kremlin-orchestrated hit, while Prigozhin’s chameleon-like background allowed for speculation that he wasn’t on the plane or had somehow escaped death.
Russia’s civil aviation authority had said Prigozhin and some of his top lieutenants were on the list of seven passengers and three crew members.
Two months ago, Prigozhin, mounted a daylong mutiny against Russia’s military, leading his mercenaries from Ukraine toward Moscow. Russian President Vladimir Putin decried the act as treason and vowed punishment for those involved.
However, the Kremlin quickly cut a deal with Prigozhin to end the armed revolt, saying he would be allowed to walk free without facing any charges and to resettle in Belarus.
A preliminary U.S. intelligence assessment concluded that an intentional explosion caused the plane to go down. The Kremlin rejected insinuations and suspicions that the Russian president was the architect of an assassination.
One of the Western officials who described the initial assessment said it determined that Prigozhin was very likely targeted and that an explosion would be in line with Putin’s long history of trying to silence his critics.
The Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi (CON) has reassured the people of the North and Nigerians of the commitment of the FG to the completion of the Abuja –Kaduna dual carriageway by 2024.
Umahi disclosed this while speaking to journalists during the inspection of the highway as directed by Mr. President who, according to him, is so passionate about the completion of the road as it will alleviate the suffering and travel time of commuters plying the road.
This was contained in a statement signed by, Blessing Lere -Adams, the Director of Information, Press and Public Relations Unit of the ministry.
The Minister added that the road is very important to Mr. President and he is committed to finishing it by 2024, adding that he will match his words with action.
The section 1 of the highway which is 165.5km is part of the 375.4 kilometer Abuja-Kaduna –Zaria-Kano project awarded to Messers Julius Berger Nigeria PLc in 2018 by the previous administration but is yet to be completee like other sections of the road due to insecurity and criminal activities.
The Minister who decried any form of wastage of funds or delay during construction work stressed that there should be a meaningful reason for any change in the approved design of a project to take place.
Umahi emphasised the need to quicken the approval process of payments for contractors and not make contractors go to site when payments have not been made to them.
The Minister who acknowledged the central role of security in the progress of any nation has assured Nigerians that this administration will do everything within available means to provide security for lives and properties on the roads.
He promised that efforts will be made to provide solar light on the completed sections of the road for the safety of road users and its environs if the contingency funds are available.
The Minister encouraged the use of concrete road pavement as an alternative to the use of asphalt in road construction describing it as durable and cheaper.
He urged citizens to take responsibility for FG projects in their states by protecting them rather than looting and vandalising them as government cannot protect them.
The Director Highway Construction and Rehabilitation, Engr. Folunsho Esan and the Director Highway North Central Engr. Bola Aganaba, all promised to monitor closely from now on the progress of work going on the road and also to meet with the deadline.
Responding, the Project Manager Messers Julius Berger Nigeria Ltd, represented by Engr. Dwsdowki Finn, expressed his gratitude to the Minister for his visit and encouragement. He stated that the project is their major project in the country and will continue to do their best to maintain the standard and deliver the project at the scheduled time.
The Minister was accompanied on the inspection by Senators Lawal Usman representative Kaduna Central and Onyekachi Nwaebonyi, representing Ebonyi North. The Federal Controller of Works in Kaduna State, Engr. Ibrahim Mmadu and Eng. Usman Yakubu were also in the entourage.
The Minister also before leaving Kaduna state paid a courtesy visit to the Governor of Kaduna state who was represented by the Deputy Governor of the state.
(FILES) In this file photo taken on September 7, 2018 Zimbabwe's President Emmerson Mnangagwa answers questions during a press conference to announce ministers of his new cabinet at State House in Harare, Zimbabwe. - Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa has landed back in Harare, state television said on January 22, 2019, after he cut short a foreign tour over nationwide protests that were met with a brutal security crackdown. (Photo by Jekesai NJIKIZANA / AFP)JEKESAI NJIKIZANA/AFP/Getty Images
Zimbabwe’s President Emmerson Mnangagwa has been re-elected for a second and final five-year term late Saturday following another troubled vote in the southern African country.
In a late-night announcement in the capital, Harare the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission said the 80-year-old Mnangagwa, won 52.6% of the votes in the midweek election, while the 45-year-old main opposition leader, Nelson Chamisa, got 44%.
Mnangagwa’s victory meant the ZANU-PF party retained the governmental leadership it has held for all 43 years of Zimbabwe’s history since the nation was re-named following independence from white minority rule in 1980.
Zimbabwe has had just two leaders in that time, long-ruling autocrat Robert Mugabe and Mnangagwa.
An opposition party spokesperson said within minutes of Mnangagwa being declared the winner that they would reject the results as having been hastily assembled without proper verification.
Also, International election observers raised questions over the environment in the buildup to the vote and pointed to an atmosphere of intimidation against Chamisa’s supporters.
The observers said they had specific concerns over a ruling party affiliate organization called Forever Associates of Zimbabwe that they said set up tables at polling stations and took details of people walking into voting booths.
The head of the African Union mission, former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan, said activities of the body should be declared criminal offenses.
Dozens of local vote monitors also were arrested and taken to court on allegations of subversion that government critics said were trumped-up charges.
Every city in the world has a story to unfold. The ancient cities have all the more tales engulfed with rich cultural heritage to share. They have an intriguing history, beautiful architecture, and showcase the imprints of evolving human civilisations.
So let’s take a look at oldest cities in the world that are still thriving today.
Damascus, Syria – 11,000 years old
Also named as the capital of Arab culture, Damascus is the oldest city in the world that has seen many of the great civilizations rise and fall.
According to research studies and historical evidence, Damascus was first inhabited in the second half of the seventh millennia B.C. It is the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, and is a prominent cultural centre of the Arab world.
Damascus is a metropolitan area with more than two million population and was named the Arab Capital of Culture in 2008.
First settled in the 3rd millennium BC, it was chosen as the capital of the Umayyad Caliphate from 661 to 750. After the victory of the Abbasid dynasty, the seat of Islamic power was moved to Baghdad.
Damascus saw its importance decline throughout the Abbasid era, only to regain significant importance in the Ayyubid and Mamluk periods.
Today, it is the seat of the central government of Syria. As of September 2019, eight years into the Syrian civil war, Damascus was named the least livable city out of 140 global cities in the Global Liveability Ranking.
As of June 2023, it was the least livable out of 173 global cities in the same Global Liveability Ranking.
Aleppo, Syria – 8,000 years old
Aleppo serves as the capital of the Aleppo Governorate, and it has been continuously inhabited for more than 8,000 years. It is a fact that the remnants dating back to 11,000 B.C of human settlements have been found there.
Aleppo is actually located between the Mediterranean Sea and Mesopotamia, and due to its geographical location, it became an important trading hub during the ancient era.
However, due to warfare between the government and rebel forces that have killed thousands and forced many to flee from their homes, Aleppo has been facing devastation since 2012.
For centuries, Aleppo was the largest city in the Syrian region, and the Ottoman Empire’s third-largest after Constantinople (now Istanbul) and Cairo.
The city’s significance in history has been its location at one end of the Silk Road, which passed through Central Asia and Mesopotamia. When the Suez Canal was inaugurated in 1869, much trade was diverted to sea and Aleppo began its slow decline.
At the fall of the Ottoman Empire after World War I, Aleppo lost its northern hinterland to modern Turkey, as well as the important Baghdad Railway connecting it to Mosul. In the 1940s it lost its main access to the sea, by Antakya and İskenderun, also to Turkey.
The growth in importance of Damascus in the past few decades further exacerbated the situation.
Aleppo has scarcely been touched by archaeologists, since the modern city occupies its ancient site. The earliest occupation of the site was around 5000 BC, as shown by excavations in Tallet Alsauda.
The Current Metro Area Population Of Aleppo In 2023 Is 2,203,000, A 5% Increase From 2022.
The metro area population of Aleppo in 2022 was 2,098,000, a 4.69% increase from 2021. The metro area population of Aleppo in 2021 was 2,004,000, a 4.54% increase from 2020.
Byblos, Lebanon – 7,000 years old
Located around 42 kilometre north of Beirut, Byblos is the oldest and the largest city in the Mount Lebanon Governorate of Lebanon. It is believed to have been first occupied by humans between 8800 and 7000 BC and continuously inhabited since 5000 BC.
Also, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is believed that the first import of papyrus in Greece took place in this city. This city is also an archaeological wonder because of the successive layers of debris resulting from centuries of human habitation.
The city also known as Jbeil or Jubayl is a city in the Keserwan-Jbeil Governorate of Lebanon.
During its history, Byblos was part of numerous civilizations, including Egyptian, Phoenician, Assyrian, Persian, Hellenistic, Roman, Fatimid, Genoese, Mamluk and Ottoman.
The city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
It was in ancient Byblos that the Phoenician alphabet, likely the ancestor of the Greek, Latin and all other Western alphabets, was developed.
Located about 42 km north of Beirut, Byblos is attractive to archaeologists because of the successive layers of debris resulting from centuries of human habitation.
It was first excavated by Ernest Renan in 1860, then by Pierre Montet from 1921 until 1924, followed by Maurice Dunand from 1925 over a period of forty years.
Renan’s expedition was to “provide the evidence that the city did not move and that Gebeil is Byblos”.
The site first appears to have been settled during the Pre-Pottery Neolithic B period, approximately 8800 to 7000 BC.
Neolithic remains of some buildings can be observed at the site. According to the writer Philo of Byblos (quoting Sanchuniathon, and quoted in Eusebius), Byblos was founded by the Phoenician shrine god El, (whom the Greeks identified with their god Cronus).
During the 3rd millennium BC, the first signs of a town can be observed, with the remains of well-built houses of uniform size. This was the period when the Canaanite civilization began to develop.
Argos, Greece – 7,000 years old
Argos is a city in Argolis, the Peloponnese, Greece and is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. According to research, Argos remained neutral throughout history, and did not participate in the Greco-Persian Wars. Argos hosts around 22,000 residents today and numerous ancient monuments can be found here.
There are several proposed origins of this city. The name is associated with the legendary Argus, the third king of the city in ancient times, who renamed it after himself, thus replacing its older name Phoronikon Asty.
Both the personal name and placename are linked to the word αργός (argós), which meant “white” or “shining”; possibly, this had to do with the visual impression given of the Argolic plain during harvest time.
Argos has a wide range of educational institutes that also serve neighbouring sparsely populated areas and villages.
In particular, the city has seven dimotika (primary schools), four gymnasia (junior high), three lyceums (senior high), one vocational school, one music school as well as a Touristical Business and Cooking department and also a post-graduate ASPETE department. The city also has two public libraries.
In 700 BC there were at least 5,000 people living in the city.
In the fourth century BC, the city was home to as many as 30,000 people.
Today, According To The 2011 Greek Census, The City Has A Population Of 22,085. It Is The Largest City In Argolis, Larger Than The Capital Nafplio.
The primary economic activity in the area is agriculture. Citrus fruits are the predominant crop, followed by olives and apricots. The area is also famous for its local melon variety, Argos melons (or Argitiko). There is also important local production of dairy products, factories for fruits processing.
Considerable remains of the ancient and medieval city survive and are a popular tourist attraction.
Athens, Greece – 7,000 years old
Athens is the capital and largest city of Greece. It dominates the Attica region with its earliest human presence starting somewhere between the 11th and 7th millennium BC. This city is also an ancient home of philosophy and the birthplace of Western civilisations.
In fact it boasts of habitation that goes back long before the days of Socrates, Plato and Aristotle. The city withstood the test of times and was a subject of complete destruction following the Dorian and Persian invasions.
Classical Athens was a powerful city-state. It was a centre for the arts, learning and philosophy, and the home of Plato’s Academy and Aristotle’s Lyceum. It is widely referred to as the cradle of Western civilization and the birthplace of democracy, largely because of its cultural and political influence on the European continent—particularly Ancient Rome.
In modern times, Athens is a large cosmopolitan metropolis and central to economic, financial, industrial, maritime, political and cultural life in Greece. In 2023, Athens metropolitan area and its surrounding municipalities (consisting the regional area of Attica) had a population of approximately 3.8 million.
Today, Athens is a sprawling metropolis and the oldest capital city in Europe.
Susa, Iran – 6,300 years old
Susa orwas an ancient city of the Proto-Elamite, and one of the most important cities of the Ancient Near East (the home of early civilizations within a region roughly corresponding to the modern Middle East).
Its location is close to the Tigris River and hence made it one of the most important cities in the ancient world. It was believed that the city was once completely destroyed by the Assyrians but then was quickly rebuilt and then it saw its most glorious days during the Persian Empire.
The city was an ancient city in the lower Zagros Mountains about 250 km (160 mi) east of the Tigris, between the Karkheh and Dez Rivers in Iran. One of the most important cities of the Ancient Near East, Susa served as the capital of Elam and the Achaemenid Empire, and remained a strategic centre during the Parthian and Sasanian periods.
The site currently consists of three archaeological mounds, covering an area of around one square kilometre. The modern Iranian town of Shush is located on the site of ancient Susa. Shush Is Identified As Shushan, Mentioned In The Book Of Esther.
Susa is also mentioned once each in the books of Ezra (Ezra 4:9), Nehemiah (Nehemiah 1:1) and Daniel (Daniel 8:2).
According to these texts, Nehemiah lived in Susa during the Babylonian captivity of the 6th century BC (Daniel mentions it in a prophetic vision), while Esther became queen there, married to King Ahasuerus, and saved the Jews from genocide.
A tomb presumed to be that of Daniel is located in the area, known as Shush-Daniel. However, a large portion of the current structure is actually a much later construction dated to the late nineteenth century, c. 1871.
Today, the ancient center of Susa is unoccupied, with the population living in the adjacent modern Iranian town of Shush to the west and north of the historic ruins.
Shush is the administrative capital of Shush County in Iran’s Khuzestan province. It had a population of 64,960 in 2005.
Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan – 6,000 years old
Erbil has been inhabited, over the millennia, by the Persians, Greeks, Romans, Mongols and Ottoman Turks.
At the center of the city, rests the Erbil Citadel, also known as Hawler Castle which is an ancient structure that dates back to 2,000 B.C.
The Erbil Citadel, is an artificial mound and the historical city center of Erbil. Erbil is known for its modern malls, ancient sites, and is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Human settlement at Erbil may be dated back to the 5th millennium BC.
At the heart of the city is the ancient Citadel of Erbil and Mudhafaria Minaret.
The earliest historical reference to the region dates to the Third Dynasty of Ur of Sumer, when King Shulgi mentioned the city of Urbilum. The city was later conquered by the Assyrians.
Erbil’s archaeological museum houses a large collection of pre-Islamic artifacts, particularly the art of Mesopotamia, and is a centre for archaeological projects in the area. The city was designated as the Arab Tourism Capital 2014 by the Arab Council of Tourism.
In July 2014, the Citadel of Erbil was inscribed as a World Heritage Site.
The city is predominantly Kurdish and has minorities of local Turkmen and Assyrians, as well as Arabs.
The Turkmen population in Erbil is estimated to be around 300,000. They mainly reside in the neighbourhoods of Taci, Mareke and Three Tak in Erbil’s city centre, around the citadel. Until 2006, they were living in the Tophane, Tekke and Saray neighborhoods of the Citadel, which contained almost 700 houses.
In 2006, the citadel was emptied, and the Turkmen in the citadel were relocated to other neighbourhoods. Turkmens participate in the political institutions of the KRG, including the Parliament.
Iraq’s first two Turkmen schools were opened on 17 November 1993, one in Erbil and the other in Kifri.
Erbil’s citadel also contains the Turkmen Culture House. It’s Ankawa district is mainly populated by Christian Assyrians. The district houses approximately 40 churches.
Erbil International Airport is one of Iraq’s busiest airports. Services include direct flights to many domestic destinations such as Baghdad international airport. There are international flights from Erbil to many countries; such as the Netherlands, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Austria, Turkey, Jordan and elsewhere around the world.
Sidon, Lebanon – 6,000 years old
Inhabited for at least the last 6,000 years, Sidon was one of the most important Phoenician cities because of its location as a crucial port on the Mediterranean. Sidon is the third-largest city in Lebanon and is located in the South Governorate.
Glass production had made Sidon both rich and famous and the city came to be known for being progressive. Also, the Phoenicians were known for their skill in ship-building and navigating the Mediterranean Sea.
Sidon (/ˈsaɪdən/) or Saida (Arabic: صيدا Ṣaydā) is the third-largest city in Lebanon. It is located in the South Governorate, of which it is the capital, on the Mediterranean coast.
In the Book of Genesis, Sidon was the first-born son of Canaan, who was a son of Ham, thereby making Sidon a great-grandson of Noah.
In the years before Christianity, Sidon had many conquerors: Assyrians, Babylonians, Egyptians, Persians, Greeks, and finally Romans.
Herod the Great visited Sidon. Both Jesus and Saint Paul are said to have visited it, too. The city was eventually conquered by the Arabs and then by the Ottoman Turks.
Education Of Sidon
Sidon is home to numerous educational facilities ranging from public elementary schools to private universities.
According to a 2006 study, the city is home to 29 schools that serve a total of 18,731 students: 37% are in public schools, 63% are in private schools. Sidon also contains 10 universities, 5 of which are private universities.
Tyre to the south and Lebanese capital Beirut to the north are both about 40 kilometres (25 miles) away. Sidon has a population of about 80,000 within city limits, while its metropolitan area has more than a quarter-million inhabitants.
Plovdiv, Bulgaria – 6,000 years old
Plovdiv is the second-largest city in Bulgaria. Plovdivs’ history spans across more than six millenniums, making it one of the oldest cities in Europe. Excavations show that people have been inhabiting the ancient town on the Nebet Tepe Hill since 4000.C.
Plovdiv is situated in a fertile region of south-central Bulgaria on the two banks of the Maritsa River. The city has historically developed on seven syenite hills, some of which are 250 metres (820 feet) high.
The city is located on the banks of the Maritsa river, southeast of the Bulgarian capital Sofia. The city is in the southern part of the Plain of Plovdiv, an alluvial plain that forms the western portion of the Upper Thracian Plain.
From there, the peaks of the Sredna Gora mountain range rise to the northwest, the Chirpan Heights to the east, and the Rhodope mountains to the south.
Because of these hills, Plovdiv is often referred to in Bulgaria as “The City of the Seven Hills”. There is evidence of habitation in the area dating back to the 6th millennium BCE, when the first Neolithic settlements were established.
The city was an important Persian, Thracian, Macedonian, and Ottoman hub.
As of the 1887 census, Plovdiv was the largest city in the country for several years with 33,032 inhabitants compared to 30,428 for Sofia. According to the 1946 census, Plovdiv was the second largest city with 126,563 inhabitants compared to 487,000 for the capital.
The city has more than 200 archaeological sites, 30 of which are of national importance. There are many remains from antiquity. Plovdiv is among the few cities with two ancient theatres; remains of the medieval walls and towers; Ottoman baths and mosques; a well-preserved old quarter from the National Revival period with beautiful houses; churches; and narrow paved streets. There are numerous museums, art, galleries and cultural institutions. Plovdiv is host to musical, theatrical, and film events.
Today, Plovdiv is the second biggest city in Bulgaria and an up-and-coming tourist hub.
Varanasi, India – 5,000 years old
Varanasi is the oldest city in India and also the birthplace of the oldest religion – Hinduism. Also known as Benares, Banaras or Kashi this city is located on the banks of the river Ganges in the Uttar Pradesh state of North India and dates back to the 11th century B.C.
Kashi, its ancient name, was associated with a kingdom of the same name of 2,500 years ago. The Lion capital of Ashoka at nearby Sarnath has been interpreted to be a commemoration of the Buddha’s first sermon there in the fifth century BCE.
Excavations in 2014 led to the discovery of artefacts dating back to 800 BCE. Further excavations at Aktha And Ramnagar, two sites in the vicinity of the city, unearthed artefacts dating back to 1800 BCE, supporting the view that the area was inhabited by this time.
Tourism is Varanasi’s second most important industry.
Most domestic tourists are from Bihar, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, and other parts of Uttar Pradesh, while the majority of foreign tourists are from Sri Lanka and Japan.
The peak tourist season falls between October and March.
In total, there are around 12,000 beds available in the city, of which about one half are in inexpensive budget hotels and one third in dharamsalas.
Overall, Varanasi’s tourist infrastructure is not well developed.
Conclusion
Most of the ancient cities in the world have stood the test of time apart from human invasions and geographical calamities.
How old is your city?
Talk to us on our social media platforms especially on Kingschat.
For Environmental Commendations And Concerns:
FOLLOW US ON KINGSCHAT: LN247 AND SPACE.COMLN247
LN247 UHF 36 LAGOS
LN247 UHF 33 ABUJA
Or Send A Mail/Picture/Video To: Info2@Ln247.News
Always remember that cleanliness is next to godliness, therefore be clean in thoughts, in words and in deeds.
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behaviour or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional
Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
