With its 450,000 inhabitants, the Moorish Córdoba was the most populous city in Europe in the year 1001. There are other very interesting facts that you don’t expect on this map.
How has the population of Europe evolved over the past four millennia? This animated map It shows it in a very entertaining and visual way.
We can find out how for centuries the Andalusian cities conquered or founded by the Arabs were the most populous in Europe.
It also allows us to realize that, over the millennia, the most populous cities they have passed from the lands of the south to those of the north.
The map of the most populous cities in Europe
It was created by the YouTube channel Olly Bye, which specializes in this kind of animated maps, with all kinds of statistics.
already made one card a while ago with the same theme, but now it’s updated with more accurate historical data. You can consult here statistics and resources that you have used.
The map shows only the most populous cities, including their metropolitan area, according to its size. The color of the circle usually represents the religions that were prevalent in those cities, if it is historically relevant (Catholicism, Orthodox, Islam, etc.). In the column on the right you can see the 7 most populous cities and their population at all times.
Here’s the map:
We started the journey in the year 1600 BC. More than three millennia ago, only a few settlements in the Greek islands had more than 15,000 inhabitants. For centuries, the Greek and Cretan cities were the cradle of civilization in Europe.
The Greeks spread their culture throughout Europe, until the birth of the roman empire. In the year 200 BC, the three most populous cities in Europe were Syracuse (population 100,000), Rome (population 90,000) and Athens (population 75,000).
We enter year 1 and the first Spanish city appears in the Top 7. Is Cadizin fifth place, with 52,000 inhabitants and under the rule of Rome. In this year Rome already touched its 920,000 inhabitants.
After the fall of the Roman Empire, Rome was almost depopulated (150,000 inhabitants) and Constantinople, present-day Istanbulstill under the Roman emblem, reigned for centuries, with more than 400,000 inhabitants.
We jump to year 800with the Iberian Peninsula conquered by the Arabs. The Andalusian cities, and Mérida and Toledo, make the Top 7:
As we see, after Constantinople, Córdoba is in second place with 160,000 inhabitantswhile Seville, Mérida and Toledo occupy positions 5, 6 and 7, with nearly 30,000 inhabitants.
This allows us to see how, with the fall of the Greek and Roman empires, their cities quickly lost their population, only to spread to other places.
With 450,000 inhabitants, Córdoba was for many years the most populous city in Europearound the year 1000. But the population of Spanish cities declined drastically the reconquest and expulsion of the Arabs and the Jews. Similarly with the Discovery of America, which led to it hundreds of thousands of Spaniards to emigrate to the new continent.
Seville manages to stay in the Top 7 for over 400 years, until 1429. Around 1500, Valencia remained on the list for several years.
From the 17th century, when the industrial revolution began, Northern European cities are starting to emerge: London, Paris, Amsterdametc.
The first city reached the million inhabitantsaccording to these statistics, was Londonabout 1800.
We have to wait for the 60’s of the last century, so that Madrid and Barcelona enter the Top 7surpass 3 million inhabitants. And there they currently remain, in fifth and sixth position, adding their metropolitan area.
This animated map of the most populous European cities over the last 3600 yearsIt is very interesting and didactic. To look at!