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
Indonesia
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, UNESCO World Heritage Site
Nepal Old Town and Durbar Square of Kathmandu, UNESCO World Heritage Site 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, UNESCO World Heritage Site 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 (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 , 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, UNESCO World Heritage Site Old Bukhara, UNESCO World Heritage Site Itchan Kala, Khiva, UNESCO World Heritage Site
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, UNESCO World Heritage Site Bến Nghé of Ho Chi Minh City Chợ Lớn of Ho Chi Minh City
Europe
Austria
UNESCO World Heritage old towns in Austria Graz (Styria) Krems an der Donau (Lower Austria) Salzburg (Salzburg), Altstadt Salzburg Innere Stadt (Vienna)Other notable/famous old towns include Hall in Tirol (Tyrol) Innsbruck (Tyrol) Linz (Upper Austria) Wels (Upper Austria) Steyr (Upper Austria) Klagenfurt am Wörthersee (Carinthia)
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, UNESCO World Heritage Site 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, UNESCO World Heritage Site
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
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) Neustrelitz (Mecklenburg) Putbus (Western Pomerania) Ratzeburg (Holstein) Schwerin (Mecklenburg) Stade (Lower Saxony) Waren (Mecklenburg) Wolfenbüttel (Lower Saxony) Eastern Germany: Bautzen (Lusatia) Dresden (Saxony) Erfurt (Thuringia) Görlitz (Silesia) Meissen (Saxony) Naumburg (Saxony-Anhalt) Pirna (Saxony) Stolberg (Saxony-Anhalt) Weimar (Thuringia) Wernigerode (Saxony-Anhalt) Wittenberg (Saxony-Anhalt) Southern Germany: Baden-Baden (Baden) Dinkelsbühl (Bavaria) Freiburg (Baden) Füssen (Bavaria) Heidelberg (Baden) Konstanz (Swabia) Landshut (Bavaria) Lindau (Bavaria) Nuremberg (Franconia) Ravensburg (Swabia) Rothenburg (Bavaria) Schwäbisch Hall (Swabia)