In a city or town, the old 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. In some cases, newer developments on the periphery of the original settlement may have become the town's principal commercial, administrative or residential hub, leaving the historic "old town" as a secondary focus. There are many places throughout the world referred to as the old town (sometimes construed as a proper noun and capitalized). This is a list of some famous old towns:
Africa
Algeria
Egypt
Ethiopia
- Old Town of Harar, UNESCO World Heritage Site
Ivory Coast
Kenya
Libya
Mali
Morocco
Niger
- Historic Center of Agadez, UNESCO World Heritage Site
Senegal
- Historic Center of Saint-Louis, UNESCO World Heritage Site
Tanzania/Zanzibar
Tunisia
Asia and the Pacific
Australia
Bangladesh
Cambodia
China
UNESCO World Heritage Sites
East China
Southwestern China
Northwestern China
South Central China
Northeast China
Fiji
India
Indonesia
Japan
UNESCO World Heritage Sites
ChÃ
«bu
ChÃ
«goku
Kansai
KantÃ
Â
Kyushu
Shikoku
- Yokaichi Merchant District
- Kasashima Port Town
TÃ
Âhoku
Malaysia
Myanmar
Nepal
New Zealand
Pakistan
Philippines
Philippines as the former colony of Spain has numerous heritage structures, most notably in:
Singapore
South Korea
Taiwan
Thailand
Uzbekistan
Vietnam
Europe
Austria
Armenia
Albania
Azerbaijan
Belgium
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bulgaria
Croatia
Czech Republic
Cyprus
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
The equivalent of "Old Town" in French is vieille ville, although the more formal centre historique ("historical center") is usually written on road signs.
UNESCO World Heritage old towns
Other notable French old towns include:
Georgia
Germany
Other notable/famous old towns include:
Greece
Crete
Attica
Macedonia
Thessaly
Thrace
Epirus
Peloponnese
Ionian Islands
Aegan Islands
Central Greece
Italy
I Borghi più belli d'Italia is an association of small Italian towns of historical interest.
Other notable old towns include:
Latvia
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Montenegro
Moldova
Netherlands
The standard term for 'Old Town' in the Netherlands is "binnenstad", which translates as "innercity", i.e. in city on the inside of the city walls.
North Macedonia
Norway
Poland
UNESCO World Heritage old towns in Poland:
Other notable old towns include:
Portugal
Romania
Russia
UNESCO World Heritage Sites
Central Federal District
â¡ indicates historic settlements of federal importance.
Volga Federal District
Northwestern Federal District
Southern Federal District
North Caucasian Federal District
Ural Federal District
Siberian Federal District
- Historic center of Tomsk, historic settlement of federal importance
- Historic center of Irkutsk, historic settlement of federal importance
- Historic center of Krasnoyarsk
- Historic center of Omsk
- Old Town of Yeniseysk, historic settlement of federal importance
Far Eastern Federal District
Serbia
- Stari Grad, a neighborhood in Novi Sad
- Petrovaradin suburb
- Stari Grad, Sremski Karlovci - Cultural Heritage of Extraordinary importance
- Stari Grad, Kikinda - Cultural Heritage of Extraordinary importance
- Stari Grad, Zrenjanin - Cultural Heritage of Extraordinary importance
- Stari Grad, BeÃÂej - Cultural Heritage of Extraordinary importance
- Stari Grad, Sombor - Cultural Heritage of Extraordinary importance
- Stari Grad, PanÃÂevo - Cultural Heritage of Extraordinary importance
- Stari Grad, Subotica - Cultural Heritage of Extraordinary importance
- Stari Grad, Sremska Mitrovica - Cultural Heritage of Extraordinary importance
- Stari Grad, Zemun - Cultural Heritage of Extraordinary importance
- Stari Grad, a municipality in Belgrade
- Stara ÃÂarÃ
¡ija, Grocka, Belgrade - Two quarters of Old City are a Cultural Heritage of Extraordinary importance
- TeÃ
¡njar, Valjevo - Cultural Heritage of Extraordinary importance
- Stara ÃÂarÃ
¡ija, Novi Pazar - Cultural Heritage of Extraordinary importance
- Stari Grad, a municipality in Kragujevac
- Stari Grad, the remains of a fort in UÃ
¾ice
- Stari Grad, Ivanjica - Cultural Heritage of Extraordinary importance
- Stari Grad, Negotin - Cultural Heritage of Extraordinary importance
- Old Town of Prizren
- Old Bazaar of ÃÂakovica
Slovakia
Spain
UNESCO World Heritage old towns in Spain
Other notable/famous old towns include:
Sweden
Switzerland
Turkey
UNESCO
Aegan region
Black Sea Region
Central Anatolia Region
Eastern Anatolia Region
Marmara Region
Mediterranean Region
Southeastern Anatolia Region
Ukraine
United Kingdom
England
- UNESCO World Heritage old towns in England:
- City of Bath
- Maritime Greenwich
- Liverpool Maritime Mercantile City
- Old Town, Barnsley
- Old Town, Chard
- Old Town, Croydon
- Old Town, hamlet near Mansergh, Cumbria
- Old Town, Eastbourne
- Old Town, Hastings
- Old Town, Isles of Scilly
- Old Town, Kingston upon Hull
- Old Town, hamlet near Otterburn, Northumberland
- Old Town, Southampton, a district of the city of Southampton
- Old Town, Swindon
- Old Town, West Yorkshire
Scotland
Wales
- Holyhead Old Town, a townscape heritage conservation area with the best surviving Roman Fort in Wales
Overseas territories
- , a UNESCO World Heritage Site
Middle East
Israel and Palestine
Lebanon
Saudi Arabia
Syria
Yemen
Iran
- Historical Center in Yazd, UNESCO World Heritage Site
- Historical Center in Isfahan, UNESCO World Heritage Site
- Historical City of Masuleh
- Historical City of Meybod
- Old Abyaneh
Iraq
North America
Canada
Quebec
Other
Cuba
Dominican Republic
Mexico
- Historic center of Mexico City, Mexico City, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
- Guanajuato City, Guanajuato, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
- Morelia, Michoacán, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
- Oaxaca City, Oaxaca, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
- Zacatecas City, Zacatecas, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
- Queretaro City, Querétaro
- Campeche City, Campeche, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
- Tlacotalpan, Veracruz, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
- San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
Panama
Puerto Rico
United States
California
Florida
Maryland
New Mexico
New York
Northeastern United States
- Historic center of Boston (North End, Back Bay and Beacon Hill), Massachusetts
- Historic center of Philadelphia (Chestnut Hill, Old City), Pennsylvania
- Old Portsmouth, New Hampshire
- Old Burlington, Vermont
- Old New Haven, Connecticut
- Old Portland, Maine
- Old Town Jersey City, New Jersey
- Old Town Salem, Massachusetts
- New Castle, Delaware
North Carolina
Tennessee
Virginia
Other US states
- Old Town Scottsdale, Arizona
- Old Town Fort Collins, Colorado
- Old Town, Augusta, Georgia
- Old Town, Chicago, Illinois
- Old Town, Indiana
- Old Town, Wichita, Kansas
- Old Town Lansing, Michigan
- Old Town Chinatown, Portland, Oregon
- Fairhaven, the oldest part of Bellingham, Washington
South America
Argentina
Brazil
Northeast
Center-West
Southeast
South
Colombia
Ecuador
Uruguay
Other uses
See also
References
Further reading
External links