The old town of a city or town is its historic or original core. Although the city is usually larger in its present form, many cities have redesignated this part of the city to commemorate its origins after thorough renovations. There are many places throughout the world named old town (and this is sometimes construed as a proper noun and capitalized).
Historic city centers
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10Al-Balad
Al-Balad is the historical area of Jeddah, the second largest city of Saudi Arabia. Balad can literally be translated as "The City." Balad is the historic center of the City of Jeddah.
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10Almaden
Almaden is a town and municipality in the Spanish province of Ciudad Real, within the autonomous community of Castile-La Mancha.
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10Arequipa
The historic centre of Arequipa, built in volcanic sillar rock, represents an integration of European and native building techniques and characteristics, expressed in the admirable work of colonial masters and Criollo and Indian masons.
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10Bam
Bam is a city in and the capital of Bam County, Kerman Province, Iran.
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10Banska Stiavnica
Banska Stiavnica is a town in central Slovakia, in the middle of an immense caldera created by the collapse of an ancient volcano. For its size, the caldera is known as Stiavnica Mountains.
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8Basgo
Basgo is a historical town situated on the bank of the Indus river in Ladakh. It was once an important cultural and political centre and is frequently mentioned in the Ladakhi Chronicles. It is known for its gompas such as Basgo Monastery and historical ruins.
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8Casbah
The Casbah is specifically the citadel of Algiers in Algeria and the traditional quarter clustered around it.
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10Citadel of Erbil
The Erbil Citadel is a tell or occupied mound, and the historical city centre of Erbil in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. It has been claimed that the site is the oldest continuously inhabited town in the world.
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10Cuenca
Cuenca is a city in the autonomous community of Castile–La Mancha in central Spain. It is the capital of the province of Cuenca.
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10Derbent
Derbent is a city in the Republic of Dagestan, Russia, located on the Caspian Sea, north of the Azerbaijani border. It is the southernmost city in Russia, and it is the second-most important city of Dagestan.
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9Ghardaia
Ghardaia is the capital city of Ghardaia Province, Algeria. It is located in northern-central Algeria in the Sahara Desert and lies along the left bank of the Wadi Mzab.
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2Historic Center of Sibiu (Hermannstadt)
The city of Sibiu and its surroundings are one of the most visited areas in Romania. It holds one of the best preserved historical sites in the country, many of its medieval fortifications having been kept in excellent state. Its old center has begun the process for becoming a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004.
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10Historic Center of Split
In 1979, the historic center of Split was included into the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites. Split is said to be one of the centres of Croatian culture. Its literary tradition can be traced to medieval times, and includes names like Marko Marulic, while in more modern times Split excelled by authors famous for their sense of humor.
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5Historic Centre (Chora), Patmos
The Historic Centre (Chora) with the Monastery of Saint-John the Theologian and the Cave of the Apocalypse on the Island of Patmos.
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2Historic Centre (Mangalem district) of Berat
The Historic Centres of Berat and Gjirokastra, in the cities of Berat and Gjirokastra, Albania, are an UNESCO World Heritage Site that were inscribed in 2005. Its borders were extended in 2008. Berat.
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10Historic Centre of Bruges
Bruges has most of its medieval architecture intact. The historic centre of Bruges has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000.
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1Historic Centre of Gjirokastra
The Historic Centres of Berat and Gjirokastra, in the cities of Berat and Gjirokastra, Albania, are an UNESCO World Heritage Site that were inscribed in 2005. Its borders were extended in 2008. Gjirokastra.
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10Historic Centre of Oporto (Porto)
The city of Oporto, built along the hillsides overlooking the mouth of the Douro river, is an outstanding urban landscape with a 2,000-year history.
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10Historic City of Meknes
The Historic City of Meknes has exerted a considerable influence on the development of the civil and military architecture (the kasbah) and works of art.
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10Historic City of Toledo
Successively a Roman municipium, the capital of the Visigothic Kingdom, a fortress of the Emirate of Cordoba, an outpost of the Christian kingdoms fighting the Moors and, in the 16th century, the temporary seat of supreme power under Charles V, Toledo is the repository of more than 2,000 years of history.
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10Historic City of Trogir
Trogir has 2300 years of continuous urban tradition. Its culture was created under the influence of the ancient Greeks, and then the Romans, and Venetians.
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3Historical Architectural Ensemble of Lviv
Lviv is one of the most important cultural centres of Ukraine. The city is known as a centre of art, literature, music and theatre. Nowadays, the indisputable evidences of the city cultural richness is a big number of theatres, concert halls, creative unions, and also high number of many artistic activities (more than 100 festivals annually, 60 museums, 10 theatres).
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10Historical centre of Strasbourg
Strasbourg is the capital of the Alsace region of France and is most widely known for hosting a number of important European institutions. It is also famous for its beautiful historical centre - the Grande Ile - which was the first city centre to be classified entirely as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
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10Itchan Kala
Ichan Kala is the walled inner town of the city of Khiva, Uzbekistan. Since 1990, it has been protected as a World Heritage Site.
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7Jesuit Block and Estancias of Cordoba
The Jesuit Block and Estancias of Cordoba are a former Jesuit reduction built by missionaries in the province of Cordoba, Argentina, named a World Heritage Site in 2000.
