About the neighborhood
Index of articles associated with the same name
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
Casbah of Algiers, UNESCO World Heritage Site
Old Town of Constantine
Old Town of Oran
Old Béjaïa
Old Tlemcen
Egypt
Medieval Cairo, in Cairo, UNESCO World Heritage Site
Old Rashid
Old Town of Alexandria
Ethiopia
Old Town of Harar, UNESCO World Heritage Site
Ivory Coast
Historic Town of Grand-Bassam, UNESCO World Heritage Site
Kenya
Lamu Old Town, UNESCO World Heritage Site
Mombasa Old Town
Libya
Old Town of Ghadamès, UNESCO World Heritage Site
Old Tripoli
Old Misrata
Mali
Historic Center of Timbuktu, UNESCO World Heritage Site
Morocco
Old Meknes, UNESCO World Heritage Site
Old Essaouira, UNESCO World Heritage Site
Old Fes, UNESCO World Heritage Site
Old Marrakesh, UNESCO World Heritage Site
Tétouan, UNESCO World Heritage Site
El Jadida, UNESCO World Heritage Site
Old Tangier
Old Rabat
Old Asilah
Chefchaouen
Niger
Historic Center of Agadez, UNESCO World Heritage Site
Senegal
Historic Center of Saint-Louis, UNESCO World Heritage Site
Tanzania/Zanzibar
Stone Town in Zanzibar City, UNESCO World Heritage Site
Tunisia
Old Kairouan, UNESCO World Heritage Site
Medina of Sousse, UNESCO World Heritage Site
Medina of Tunis, UNESCO World Heritage Site
Old Sfax
Asia and the Pacific
Australia
Old Town of Ballarat
Old Beechworth
Old Town of Fitzroy
Historic center of Sydney (The Rocks, Newtown)
Historic center of Melbourne (CBD)
Historic center of Hobart
Historic center of Adelaide
Bangladesh
Old Town in Dhaka, Old Dhaka
Sonargaon
Cambodia
French Quarter of Phnom Penh
French Quarter of Siem Reap
French Quarter of Kampot
China
UNESCO World Heritage Sites
Historical centers of Xidi and Hongcun
Forbidden City and Old Town remnants of Beijing
Mountain Resort temple town in Chengde
Old Town of Pingyao
Old Town of Lijiang
Old Town of Qufu
Old Town of Kaiping
Historic Centre of Macau
Gulangyu
East China
Old Sanfang Qixiang
Old Town of Yongding
Ancient Town of Shaoxing
Ancient Town of Wuzhen
Ancient Town of Qibao
Ancient Town of Fengjing
Ancient Town of Nanxun
Ancient Town of Xitang
Ancient Town of Zhujiajiao
Ancient Town of Qiandeng
Ancient Town of Jinxi
Ancient Town of Luzhi
Ancient Town of Zhouzhuang
Ancient Town of Tongli
Ancient Town of Mudu
Ancient Town of Suzhou
Ancient Town of Tunxi
Walled old town area of Nanjing
Southwestern China
Old Town and Potala Palace of Lhasa
Dali Ancient City
Pingle Ancient Town
Heshun
Ancient Town of Zhenyuan
Ancient Town of Ciqikou
Ancient Town of Lizhuang
Ancient Town of Liujiangzhen
Ancient Town of Shangli
Ancient Town of Luodai
Ancient Town of Jiezi
Northwestern China
Qingmuchuan Ancient Town
Old Town of Kashgar
South Central China
Old Town of Dengfeng
Yangmei Ancient Town
Huangyao Ancient Town
Fenghuang Ancient Town
Ancient Town of Liye
Ancient Town of Furong
Ancient Town of Luoyang
Ancient Town of Xijiang
Northeast China
Old Town of Harbin
Fiji
Levuka
India
Old Town and monuments of Agra
Historic Center of Ahmedabad
Historical center of Alchi
Historical center of Amritsar
Budaun
Havelis of Bundi
Havelis of Bikaner
Champaner
Old Delhi
Fatehpur Sikri
Old Goa
Historical center of Gwalior
Hampi
Historical center of Hyderabad
Old Town of Jaipur
Jaisalmer Fort
Old Town of Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh
Old Town of Jodhpur
Kalna City
Kanadukathan and other towns of Chettinad
Historical center of Kochi
Garden Reach and other historic districts of Kolkata
Kuldhara
Kumbakonam
Leh Old Town
Old Town of Lucknow
Havelis of Mandawa
Maheshwar
Old Town of Murshidabad
Havelis of Nawalgarh
Orchha
Osian, Jodhpur
Historic districts of Patna
Havelis of Phalodi
Pushkar
Historical center of Puducherry
Historical ruined center of Mandu
Historical centre and Fort of Mumbai
Siddhpur
Old Town of Srinagar
Old Town and palace of Udaipur
Old Town of Varanasi
Indonesia
Ancient City of Banten
Old Town of Jakarta, within and 4 Outlying Islands (Onrust, Kelor, Cipir dan Bidadari)
Old Town of Semarang
Old Town of Padang
Depok Lama (Old Town of Depok)
Historic City of Surabaya
Historic City of Bandung
Historic City of Medan
Historic City of Malang
Historical Monuments of City of Ternate
Historical Monuments of Banda Neira
Historical Monuments of Padalarang
Historical Monuments of City Tidore
Historical City Center of Yogyakarta
Historical City Center of Tegal
Old Mining Town Of Sawahlunto
Old City of Banyumas
Old City of Banjarmasin
Old City of Bukittinggi
Old City of Jambi
Historical District of Lasem
Historical District of Ampenan
Historic Center of Solo (Surakarta)
Historic Town of Cirebon
Historic Center of Palembang
Historic Town of Bogor
Chinatown of Bengkulu (Kampung Cina Bengkulu)
Japan
UNESCO World Heritage Sites
Historic center of Kyoto (Gion and Higashiyama districts)
Historic centers of Shirakawa-gō and Gokayama
Chūbu
Samurai district of Kanazawa (Nagamachi)
Geisha district of Kanazawa (Higashi Chaya)
Magome Post Town
Matsumoto Nakamachi Merchant District
Narai Post Town
Tsumago Post Town
Takayama Merchant District
Chūgoku
Hagi Former Castle Town
Mitarai Historic Townscape
Kurashiki Bikan Historical Quarter
Tomonoura Port Town
Fukiya Merchant District
Matsue Samurai District
Yunotsu Onsen Port Town
Kansai
Imaicho Merchant Town
Naramachi Merchant District
Miyama Farming Town
Ine Port Town
Omihachiman
Oharaimachi
Kantō
Sawara Merchant District
Kawagoe Warehouse District
Kyushu
Kitsuki Samurai District
Usuki Samurai District
Taketomi Island
Misumi West Port Town
Shikoku
Yokaichi Merchant District
Kasashima Port Town
Tōhoku
Ouchijuku Post Town
Kakunodate Samurai District
Malaysia
Historic center of George Town, UNESCO World Heritage Site
Historic center of Malacca, UNESCO World Heritage Site
Old Town of Kuala Lumpur
Old Town of Alor Setar
Old Town of Ipoh
Old Town of Petaling Jaya
Old Town of Miri
Old Town of Taiping
Old Town of Kuala Kangsar
Old Town of Bentong
Old Town of Gopeng
Old Town of Kuala Terengganu
Old Town of Muar
Old Town of Batu Pahat
Old Town of Kuala Kubu Bharu
Old Town of Kuala Selangor
Old Town of Lumut
Chinatown of Kuching
Myanmar
Historic center of Yangon
Old Bagan
Nepal
Old Town and Durbar Square of Kathmandu
Old Town and Durbar Square of Bhaktapur
Old Town and Durbar Square of Lalitpur
Kirtipur
New Zealand
Old Town of Napier
Historic center of Wellington
Historic town of Feilding
Historic town of Russell
Historic town of Arrowtown
Old Oamaru
Pakistan
Walled City of Lahore, Punjab
Sethi Mohallah of Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Old City of Multan, Punjab
Philippines
Philippines as the former colony of Spain has numerous heritage structures, most notably in:
Old Town remnants of Intramuros in Manila
Old Town of Vigan
Old Town of Malolos
Old Town of San Fernando
Old Town of Pila
Old Town of Taal
Old Town of Balayan
Old Town of Iloilo
Old Town of Laoag
Old Town of Loboc
Old Town of Carcar
Old Town of Silay
Old Town of Baclayon
Old Town of Dapitan
Singapore
Chinatown, Singapore
Little India, Singapore
South Korea
Hahoe Folk Village (Andong), UNESCO World Heritage Site
Yangdong Folk Village (Gyeongju), UNESCO World Heritage Site
Bukchon Hanok Village (Seoul)
Oeam Folk Village (Asan)
Jeonju Hanok Village (Jeonju)
Nagan Eupseong Folk Village (Nagan)
Taiwan
Taiwan Prefecture Cityzh (Historic center of Tainan)
Hengchun Prefecture City (Historic center of Hengchun)
Taipeh Prefecture City (Taipei City Walls)
Twatutia
Monka
Historic center of Tamsui
Lukang
Jioufen
Shifen Old Street
Sisinan Village, Taipei
Qinbi Villagezh, Matsu Islands
Thailand
Rattanakosin Island of Bangkok
Talat Noi and Song Wat Road of Bangkok
Kudi Chin of Bangkok
Ban Sing Tha of Yasothon
Old Phuket Town of Phuket
Chak Ngaeo of Chonburi
Chanthaboon Riverside Community of Chanthaburi
Chiang Khan of Loei
Chum Saeng of Nakhon Sawan
Tha Chalom of Samut Sakhon
Uzbekistan
Old Tashkent
Old Samarkand
Old Bukhara
Old Khiva
Vietnam
Old Quarter, Hanoi
Hiến Town of Hưng Yên
Thành Nam Old Town of Nam Định
Thanh Hà – Bao Vinh Old Twin Cities of Huế
Hội An Old Town
Bến Nghé of Ho Chi Minh City
Chợ Lớn of Ho Chi Minh City
Europe
Austria
Armenia
Historical Center in Vagharshapat, UNESCO World Heritage Site
Old Town of Goris (Syunik)
Old Khndzoresk (Syunik)
Poqr Tagh and Mets Tagh in Meghri (Syunik)
Old Town of Dilijan (Tavush)
Old Town of Ashtarak (Aragatsotn)
Kumayri in Gyumri (Shirak)
Old Town of Tashir (Lori)
Old Town of Tegh (Syunik)
Kond, Old Nork and Erebuni Fortress in Yerevan
Albania
Historical Center of Berat, UNESCO World Heritage Site
Historical Center of Gjirokaster, UNESCO World Heritage Site
Old Town of Vlorë
Old Town of Durrës
Old Town of Lezhë
Old Town of Shkodër
Old Town of Korçë
Old Town of Krujë
Old Town of Dhërmi
Castle of Elbasan
Azerbaijan
Walled City of Baku in Baku, UNESCO World Heritage Site
Historic Center of Shaki, UNESCO World Heritage Site
Old Town of Ordubad
Old Town of Ganja
Belgium
Antwerp
Arlon
Binche
Bruges
Brussels
Dendermonde
Dinant
Durbuy
Ghent
Leuven
Liège
Lier
Mechelen
Mons
Namur
Thuin
Tournai
Ypres
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Historic Center of Sarajevo
Stari Most (Old City of Mostar)
City of Višegrad
Jajce
Vratnik
Old Tuzla
Bulgaria
Old Town in Plovdiv
Old Town in Lovech
Old Town in Nessebur
Old Town in Sofia
Old Town in Veliko Tarnovo
Croatia
Old Town of Dubrovnik, UNESCO World Heritage Site
Old Town of Split with Diocletian's Palace, UNESCO World Heritage Site
Old Town of Trogir, UNESCO World Heritage Site
Old Town of Varaždin
Old Town of Rovinj
Old Zadar
Gradec and Kaptol, twin old towns of Zagreb
Old Rijeka
Old Osijek
Czech Republic
Staré Město in Prague, UNESCO World Heritage Site
Vnitřní město in Český Krumlov, UNESCO World Heritage Site
Vnitřní město in Kutná Hora, UNESCO World Heritage Site
Vnitřní město in Telč, UNESCO World Heritage Site
Vnitřní město in Karlovy Vary
Vnitřní město in Brno
Vnitřní město in Plzeň
Vnitřní město in Liberec
Cyprus
Walled city of Nicosia
Walled city of Famagusta
Old town of Limassol
Old town of Paphos also traditionally known as Ktima. Not to be confused with Nea Paphos a World Heritage Site
Old town of Larnaca
Denmark
Den Gamle By in Aarhus
Nyhavn in Copenhagen
Old Odense
Old Aalborg
Old Haderslev
Old Rønne
Estonia
Old Town (Vanalinn) of Narva
Old Town (Vanalinn) of Tallinn, UNESCO World Heritage Site
Old Town (Vanalinn) of Tartu
Old Town (Vanalinn) of Pärnu
Finland
Old Town (Vanhakaupunki) of Porvoo
Vanhakaupunki in Turku
Vanhakaupunki in Helsinki
Old Rauma
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 Albi (Tarn)
Avignon (Vaucluse)
Bordeaux (Gironde)
Carcassonne (Aude)
Lyon (Rhône)
Provins (Seine-et-Marne)
Strasbourg (Bas-Rhin)
Vichy (Allier)
Other notable French old towns include
Agen (Lot-et-Garonne)
Agde (Hérault)
Aigues-Mortes (Gard)
Aix-en-Provence (Bouches-du-Rhône)
Alençon (Orne)
Amboise (Indre-et-Loire)
Amiens (Somme)
Angers (Maine-et-Loire)
Angoulême (Charente)
Annecy (Haute-Savoie)
Arles (Bouches-du-Rhône)
Arras (Pas-de-Calais)
Aubenas (Ardèche)
Auch (Gers)
Autun (Saône-et-Loire)
Auxerre (Yonne)
Bar-le-Duc (Meuse)
Bayonne (Pyrénées-Atlantiques)
Beaune (Côte-d'Or)
Belfort (Territoire de Belfort)
Bergerac (Dordogne)
Besançon (Doubs)
Béthune (Pas-de-Calais)
Béziers (Hérault)
Blois (Loir-et-Cher)
Boulogne-sur-Mer (Pas-de-Calais)
Bourg-en-Bresse (Ain)
Bourges ( Cher)
Caen (Calvados)
Cahors (Lot)
Châlon-sur-Saône (Saône-et-Loire)
Châlons-en-Champagne (Marne)
Charleville-Mézières (Ardennes)
Chartres (Eure-et-Loire)
Chambéry (Savoie)
Clermont-Ferrand (Puy-de-Dôme)
Colmar (Haut-Rhin)
Dieppe (Seine-Maritime)
Dijon (Côte-d'Or)
Dinan (Côtes-d'Armor)
Dole (Jura)
Épinal (Vosges)
Fougères (Ille-et-Vilaine)
Grenoble (Isère)
Honfleur (Calvados)
Langres (Haute-Marne)
Laon (Aisne)
Laval (Mayenne)
La Rochelle (Charente-Maritime)
Le Mans (Sarthe)
Le Puy-en-Velay (Haute-Loire)
Lille (Nord)
Limoges (Haute-Vienne)
Mâcon (Saône-et-Loire)
Marseille (Bouches-du-Rhône)
Meaux (Seine-et-Marne)
Melun (Seine-et-Marne)
Mende (Lozère)
Metz (Moselle)
Montauban (Tarn-et-Garonne)
Montbéliard (Doubs)
Montbrison (Loire)
Montélimar (Drôme)
Montpellier (Hérault)
Morlaix (Finistère)
Moulins (Allier)
Mulhouse (Haut-Rhin)
Nancy (Meurthe-et-Moselle)
Nantes (Loire-Atlantique)
Narbonne (Aude)
Nevers (Nièvre)
Nice (Alpes-Maritimes)
Nîmes (Gard)
Niort (Deux-Sèvres)
Nyons (Drôme)
Orange (Vaucluse)
Orléans (Loiret)
Paris
Pau (Pyrénées-Atlantiques)
Périgueux (Dordogne)
Perpignan (Pyrénées-Orientales)
Pézenas (Hérault)
Poitiers (Vienne)
Quimper (Finistère)
Reims (Marne)
Rennes (Ille-et-Vilaine)
Roanne (Loire)
Rodez (Aveyron)
Rouen (Seine-Maritime)
Saint-Étienne (Loire)
Saint-Germain-en-Laye (Yvelines)
Saint-Malo (Ille-et-Vilaine)
Saint-Omer (Pas-de-Calais)
Saint-Quentin (Aisne)
Saintes (Charente-Maritime)
Salon-de-Provence (Bouches-du-Rhône)
Sens (Yonne)
Sète (Hérault)
Toul (Meurthe-et-Moselle)
Toulon (Var)
Toulouse (Haute-Garonne)
Tours (Indre-et-Loire)
Troyes (Aube)
Tulle (Corrèze)
Valence (Drôme)
Vannes (Morbihan)
Verdun (Meuse)
Versailles (Yvelines)
Vesoul (Haute-Saône)
Villefranche-sur-Saône (Rhône)
Vitré (Ille-et-Vilaine)
Georgia
Old Tbilisi (Dzveli Tbilisi) in Tbilisi
Historical Center in Mtskheta, UNESCO World Heritage Site
Old Town in Kutaisi (Imereti)
Old Town in Batumi (Adjara)
Old Town in Sighnaghi (Kakheti)
Old Town in Telavi (Kakheti)
Old Town in Gori (Shida Kartli)
Germany
UNESCO World Heritage old towns in Germany: Bamberg (Franconia)
Goslar (Lower Saxony)
Lübeck (Schleswig-Holstein)
Quedlinburg (Saxony-Anhalt)
Regensburg (Bavaria)
Stralsund (Western Pomerania)
Wismar (Mecklenburg)
Other notable/famous old towns include:
Northern Germany: Bad Doberan (Mecklenburg)
Binz (Western Pomerania)
Celle (Lower Saxony)
Eckernförde (Schleswig)
Flensburg (Schleswig)
Friedrichstadt (Schleswig)
Güstrow (Mecklenburg)
Hamelin (Lower Saxony)
Hann. Münden (Lower Saxony)
Heringsdorf (Western Pomerania)
Lüneburg (Lower Saxony)
Encyclopedic content adapted from the Wikipedia article on Nagamachi, used under CC BY-SA 4.0.
