Some cities have incessantly teemed with life for centuries, even for millennia. Currently, the oldest inhabited urban settlements are deemed to be those located in the Old World. Their contemporary layouts are very different to how they were originally, this is very often hidden in relics which attest to the older layers. Searching for such layers is a fascinating task. Sometimes, they can be found in the layout of public spaces, or in the architecture of historic buildings and complexes. Others remain deeply concealed underneath the surface of streets, squares, pavements, and parks. Most frequently, the exposure of larger parts of the remains of old architectural and urban structures is not easy due to the need to secure efficient functioning of the contemporary urban tissue. Architectural and archaeological reserves established especially in Europe, help to restore the lost memory of the city by exhibiting its historic layers.

Some cities have incessantly teemed with life for centuries, even for millennia. Currently, the oldest inhabited urban settlements are deemed to be those located in the Old World. Their contemporary layouts are very different to how they were originally, this is very often hidden in relics which attest to the older layers. Searching for such layers is a fascinating task. Sometimes, they can be found in the layout of public spaces, or in the architecture of historic buildings and complexes. Others remain deeply concealed underneath the surface of streets, squares, pavements, and parks. Most frequently, the exposure of larger parts of the remains of old architectural and urban structures is not easy due to the need to secure efficient functioning of the contemporary urban tissue. Architectural and archaeological reserves established especially in Europe, help to restore the lost memory of the city by exhibiting its historic layers.