The article examines the decline of ten significant cities from across Europe, North Africa, and Asia between 500 and 1500. These cities, once powerful centers of trade, culture, and governance, succumbed to various factors, including warfare, natural disasters, and significant political upheaval. The focus is on Antioch and Old Sarum among others, detailing their historical significance and the reasons behind their eventual ruin, ultimately serving as a reminder of the vulnerability even of the most prosperous urban centers during the Middle Ages.
Antioch, once a political and cultural capital with 300,000 inhabitants, faced disasters and invasions leading to its decline, ultimately leaving only 300 residents.
Old Sarum was a pivotal settlement from Iron Age to Norman times, thriving as a center of administration, but it dwindled significantly by the end of the Middle Ages.
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