Most Important City in History?

[Pangur Bán]

Difficult question me thinks. Kinda related to a thread I've got running on OT, but not really. This one is purely about historical importance. Modern times should be regarded as important too, but earlier periods really ought to be given their due historical weight.

Don't ask me how to vote on historical importance. You decide. But obviously such things as Political, religious, commercial, scientific influence ought to be considered.

I'll admit that some cities that probably should be in the top 19 won't be, but I think you'd agree that the most important half-dozen are there

Made it multiple choice, because of I realize it's hard to decide on only one.

So, go for it.

PS, I'll try to post some links on the cities

 

[Pangur Bán]

Classical Rome:

Terracota Warriors in Chang'an

St Sophia of Constantinople and an Istanbul pond-spring:

 

[privatehudson]

London, seat of the biggest empire the world has ever seen, Britain is famous for commerce, it's military exploits and it's inventions. Britain/England it was that has done much to support and spread Protestant religion into the world through the empire, and it's political and justice systems have also been important.

Plus I'm British

 

[Bifrost]

The 2000-years epoque was the epoque of religion, all more or less significant events during that time were in some way connected with religion.

Jerusalem therefore.

 

[Mescalhead]

I said Alexandria, Athens, Constantinople, Jerusalem, London, and Rome.

 

[Hayek]

London, IMO. There's no need to write down any reasons as privatehudson did that already.

 

[SeleucusNicator]

I can't think of a city that has been more important than Rome. Nothing else comes close.

 

[andrewgprv]

I can't believe I'm the only person to vote Babylon.

 

[Benderino]

Jerusalem, Rome, Istanbul, Baghdad.

 

[phoenix_night]

London.

 

[Marla_Singer]

You like to rank things Calgacus ? Most beautiful city... most important city... best airport... etc... How do you want people to judge if not about what is the closest to themselves ? All those things are awfully subjective ! How else could you define an order of importance between Beijing or London, Tokyo or Paris, Cairo or Mecca ?

There's no necessarily best colour or best ice cream taste. Please, enjoy diversity !

 

[Pangur Bán]

I do indeed. I get's the mind working on significance of things, and places things in perspective

But I also like to gauge perception.

 

[civilleader]

Pataliputra since it spread Buddhism all over. Its rule allowed for the invention of the zero etc.

 

[Marla_Singer]

Originally posted by calgacus
I do indeed. I get's the mind working on significance of things, and places things in perspective

But I also like to gauge perception.

Well, you won't gauged well perception if you put a poll in Civfanatica. Do you see many chinese people over there ? Don't you think they are better placed to talk about the importance of Beijing or Shangai than us ?

Well, don't get me wrong, you harm no one with your poll. I just want to say that they don't really help. You shouldn't forget 50% of people around here are americans, 25% of people are brits and the last 25% are europeans. If you make a poll about which country people support during the World Cup, you won't prove nothing if England and the US get most of the votes.

However, it's just a comment . You're free to do those polls and it's funny to answer to them. I just wanted to be sure you got enough distance from the results.

 

[Zarn]

1) Jerusalem
2) Rome
3) Babylon

 

[Pangur Bán]

Originally posted by Marla_Singer
Well, you won't gauged well perception if you put a poll in Civfanatica. Do you see many chinese people over there ? Don't you think they are better placed to talk about the importance of Beijing or Shangai than us ?

If you have an education and an unbiased mind, then there shouldn't be a problem with this sort of thing. The greatest authorities on the history of most third world countries are usually westerners for instance.

But I'm not naive. It's no accident that the combined total for Chang'an, Loyang and Peking amounts to 1/4 of Rome's vote. I expect that. For that sort of thing, the posts tend to compensate.

Originally posted by Marla_Singer


Well, don't get me wrong, you harm no one with your poll. I just want to say that they don't really help. You shouldn't forget 50% of people around here are americans, 25% of people are brits and the last 25% are europeans. If you make a poll about which country people support during the World Cup, you won't prove nothing if England and the US get most of the votes.

I'm not sure that's as important as you think it is. New York only has one vote so far for instance. Supporting a team is one thing, judging the historical importance of a city does not have to be similar by any means.

Originally posted by Marla_Singer
However, it's just a comment . You're free to do those polls and it's funny to answer to them. I just wanted to be sure you got enough distance from the results.

Belief me, I don't change my opinions because of polls - but iff the posts offer good arguments, then I'll usually rethink. The poll is, after all, only a complement to the thread - not its raison d'etre

 

[Tavenier]

1. Rome
Most influental city of all times. How many things started in Rome, like justice systems, and all? First city to reach a million inhabitants, and how long did it take after that to reach a million for any city? Wasn't it London or Paris in around 1850, or something? And where does the leader of the largest religion live?

2. Byzantium
Important in very different eras. Seat of the Patriarch until it fell. Capital of the Eastern Roman Empire (or since the 19th century called the Byzantine Empire). Capital of a very large Ottoman Empire. Trading centre for centuries, and so on.

3. Jerusalem
Birthplace of eventually 3 religions with more then half of the world population as followers. And still today weekly in the news about the Palestine-Israel conflict.

 

[yaroslav]

For the Wester world, it's probably either Rome or Athens, although Alexandria and Babylon come close.

 

[Margim]

Rome. The empire, the army, the architecture, the culture, the politics, the very foundation of western civilization and the model for many/most western cities to this day.

Jerusalem. An ancient city, key to three major religions, mixture of cultural heritage from across the world, a key in numerous wars throughout the middle east over 3000 years.

 

[Xen]

1)Rome
2)Athens
3)Alexandria
4)Byzantium
5)London