List of conflicts in the Near East

This is a list of conflicts in the Near East arranged; first, chronologically from the epipaleolithic until the end of the late modern period (c. 20,000 years Before Present – c. AD 1945); second, geographically by sub-regions (starting from east to west; then, south to north). This list includes most present-day sovereign states (some of which may be disputed) beginning eastward from West and Central Asia (the Republic of Iraq, State of Kuwait, and Islamic republics of Iran and Afghanistan), Syria (the Syrian Arab Republic and Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan), Transcaucasia (the republics of Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Abkhazia, Artsakh, and South Ossetia), Anatolia and Eastern Thrace (the Republic of Turkey), Arabian Peninsula (the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, State of Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Sultanate of Oman, and Republic of Yemen), Levant (the Lebanese Republic, Republic of Cyprus, Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, and the states of Israel and Palestine), Northeast Africa (the Arab Republic of Egypt and Republic of the Sudan), and Northwest Africa (the State of Libya, Republic of Tunisia, People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, Kingdom of Morocco, Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, and Islamic Republic of Mauritania).

The limited, modern, archaeological, and historical context of the Near East.

The Middle and Near East.

Logotype for the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs.

Western Asia.

Also listed might be any raid, strike, skirmish, siege, sacking, and/or battle (both land and naval) that occurred on the territories of a modern country occupying what may today be referred to as the "Middle East" (or the "Ancient Near East" when in reference to this region's military history during classical antiquity); however, was itself only part of an operation of a campaign in a theater of a greater, interregional war (e.g. any and/or all border, undeclared, colonial, proxy, liberation, world wars, etc.) There may also be periods of violent, civil unrest listed; such as, shootouts, spree killings, massacres, terrorist attacks, coups, assassinations, regicides, riots, rebellions, revolutions, and civil wars (as well as wars of succession and/or independence). The list might also contain episodes of human sacrifice, mass suicide, and ethnic cleansing/genocide.

Bronze Age

Egypt

Early Dynastic Period of Egypt
- c. 3100 BC Unification of Upper and Lower Egypt
Second Intermediate Period of Egypt
- 1580–1550 BC Hyksos-Seventeenth Dynasty of Egypt wars in Lower Egypt
New Kingdom of Egypt
- - 1550/1549–1531 BC Conquest of Hyksos-ruled Lower Egypt by Ahmose I of the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt
  - c.1537 BCE Ahmose I's campaigns to Syria and Nubia.
  - 16 April 1457 BCE Battle of Megiddo – a battle between Ancient Egyptian forces under the pharaoh Thutmose III and a large Canaanite coalition.
  - Battle of Kadesh, fought in May 1247 BCE between Ramses II and the Hittite Empire.

Mesopotamia

Early Dynastic Period of Mesopotamia
- c. 2500 BC Enmebaragesi of Kish subdued Elam
- c. 2500 BC Aga of Kish, the son of Enmebaragesi of Kish, besieged Uruk
- c. 2500 BC Enmerkar of Uruk's year-long siege of Aratta
- c. 2500 BC Dumuzid of Uruk captured Enmebaragesi of Kish single-handed
- c. 2500 BC Enshakushanna of Uruk conquered Hamazi, Akkad, Kish, and Nippur, claiming hegemony over all of Sumer. Enshakushanna was succeeded in Uruk by Lugal-kinishe-dudu, but the hegemony seems to have passed to Eannatum of Lagash for a time
- c. 2500 BC Eannatum of Lagash conquered all of Sumer, including Ur, Nippur, Akshak, Larsa, and Uruk (controlled by Enshakushanna)
- c. 2500 BC En-anna-tum I of Lagash succeeded his brother Eannatum and defended Lagash against Ur-Lumma of Umma
- c. 2500 BC Entemena of Lagash succeeded his father En-anna-tum I and re-established Lagash as a power in Sumer. He defeated Illi of Umma, with the aid of Lugal-kinishe-dudu of Uruk (the successor to Enshakushanna)
- c. 2500 BC Lugal-Anne-Mundu of Adab subjected the "Four-Quarters" of the world – i.e., the entire Fertile Crescent region, from the Mediterranean to the Zagros Mountains
- c. 2355 BC – 2334 BC (middle chronology) Lugal-zage-si of Umma conquered several of the Sumerian city-states – including Kish, where he overthrew Ur-Zababa; Lagash, where he overthrew Urukagina; Ur, Nippur, and Larsa; as well as Uruk
Akkadian Period
- c. 2334 – 2270 BC Sargon of Akkad established a vast empire which is thought to have included large parts of Mesopotamia, and included parts of modern-day Iran, Asia Minor and Syria
  - Conquest of Elam
  - c. 2271 BC Battle of Uruk
  - Syria and Canaan campaigns
  - Akkadian conquest of Ebla
  - Magan revolt
  - Lullubi campaign of Naram-sin
Gutian period
- c. 2193 – c. 2123 BC Gutian attacks on the Akkadian Empire
- c. 2123 BC – 2112 BC After defeating the Gutian ruler Tirigan in Sumer with the aid of other cities, Utu-hengal of Uruk established himself as the king of Sumer
Ur III period
- c. 2112 BC – 2094 BC (Short chronology) Ur-Nammu of Ur conquered Lagash
- c. 2004 BC (Short chronology) Elamite Sack of Ur
Isin-Larsa period
- c. 1830 BC – 1817 BC (Short chronology) The Amorite chieftain Sumu-abum won independence from the city-state Kazallu
- c. 1752 BC – 1730 BC (Short chronology) Damiq-ilishu of Isin, the last king mentioned in the Sumerian King List, is defeated by Sin-Muballit of Babylon
Old Babylonian period
- c. 1792 BC – 1750 BC (Short chronology) Hammurabi of Babylon extended Babylon's control over Mesopotamia by winning a series of wars against neighboring kingdoms
Kassite dynasty
- c. 1595 BC Fall of Babylon
- c. 1507 BC (Short chronology) Kassite attacks on Babylon

Levant

c. 2492 BC Battle between Haik and Nimrod
c. 2300 BC Mari-Ebla's Hundred Years War
- c. 2300 BC Battle of Terqa
c. 2000 BC Battle of Siddim
c. 1900 BC Qatna-Yamhad conflict
c. 1770 BC Yamhad kingdom conquests
c. 1650 BC - 1600 BC Hittite-Syrian Wars
Israelite Campaigns
- Early Israelite campaigns
  - 1400 BC Battle of Ai (legendary)
  - Battle of Hazor (legendary)
  - Battle of Jericho (legendary)
  - Lachish
  - Battle of the Waters of Merom (legendary)
c. 14th century BC "Syrian Wars"
c. 1247 BC Battle of Kadesh
c. 1012 BC-965 BC Davids wars of Conquest

Anatolia

c. 1650 BC – 1600 BC Conquests of Hattusili I and Mursili I
c. 1430 BC – 1350 BC Kaska invasions of Hatti

Early Iron Age

Note: This section is covering Iron Age I and II, Iron Age III is related as Classic Period

Ancient Egypt conflicts
- 1279 BC – 1213 BC Ramesses II campaigns in the Near East
- Third Intermediate Period of Egypt
  - 925 BC Sack of Jerusalem
  - 727 BC Kushite Invasion to Egypt
  - 609 BC Battle of Megiddo – a battle between the Kingdom of Egypt and the Kingdom of Judah
Ancient Anatolia conflicts
- 1260 BC – 1240 BC Trojan War
Ancient Mesopotamia conflicts
- Kassite period
  - c. 1232 BC – 1225 BC (Short chronology) Tukulti-Ninurta I of Assyria defeated Kashtiliash IV, the Kassite king of Babylon and captured the city of Babylon to ensure full Assyrian supremacy over Mesopotamia
  - c. 1157 BC – 1155 BC (Short chronology) Enlil-nadin-ahi, the final king of the Kassite dynasty that had ruled over Babylon, was defeated by Kutir-Nahhunte of Elam, the successor of Shutruk-Nakhunte
- Fourth Babylonian Dynasty
  - c. 1125 BC – 1104 BC (Short chronology) Nebuchadnezzar I of Isin's War with Elam
Israelite Campaigns
- Later Israelite Campaigns
  - 1000 BC Siege of Jebus
Assyrian campaigns
- 853 BC Battle of Qarqar
- 721 BC Assyrian conquest of Israel
- Second Assyrian invasion to Southern Levant
  - 701 BC Siege of Lachish
  - 701 BC Assyrian Siege of Jerusalem by Sennacherib
- 693 BC Battle of Diyala River (Pyrrhic Assyrian victory)
- 693 BC Siege of Babylon
- 626 BC Revolt of Babylon (Decisive Babylonian victory; eviction of Assyrian troops)
Neo-Babylonian campaigns
- 612 BC Battle of Nineveh
- 605 BC Battle of Carchemish – a battle between the Kingdom of Egypt and Assyrian allies against the Neo-Babylonian Empire
- Jewish–Babylonian war
  - 597 BC Siege of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar II
  - 587 BC Siege of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar II
Median campaigns
- 28 May 585 BC Battle of Halys
Achaemenid conquests of Cyrus the Great
- 552 BC Persian Revolt
- 552 BC Battle of Hyrba
- 551 BC Battle of the Persian Border
- 550 BC Battle of Pasargadae
- 547 BC Battle of Pteria
- 547 BC Battle of Thymbra
- 547 BC Siege of Sardis
- 539 BC Battle of Opis

Classical antiquity

Greco-Persian domination

Ionian Revolt 499–493 BC
First Persian invasion of Greece 492–490 BC
Egyptian Revolt 486 BC
Second Persian invasion of Greece 480–478 BC
Wars of Delian League 477–449 BC
Wars of Alexander the Great
Wars of the Diadochi 322–275 BC
Syrian Wars 274–168 BC
Seleucid–Parthian wars 238–129 BC
Roman–Syrian War 192–188 BC
Maccabean Revolt 167–160 BC

Roman, Parthian and Sassanid domination

Mithridatic Wars 88–63 BC
- First Mithridatic War 88–84 BC
- Second Mithridatic War 83–81 BC
- Third Mithridatic War 75–63 BC
  - Hasmonean Civil War
    - Siege of Jerusalem (63 BC)
Roman–Parthian Wars
Aelius Gallus campaign in Arabia 24 BC
Alexandria pogroms 38 AD
Jewish–Roman wars 66–136 AD
Roman-Sassanid Wars
- Battle of Antioch (218)
- Ardashir's raid of Mesopotamia 230–232 AD
- Ardashir's second raid of Mesopotamia 237–240 AD
- Battle of Resaena 243 AD
- Battle of Misiche 244 AD
- Battle of Barbalissos
- Battle of Edessa 259
- Siege of Singara 344
- Siege of Amida 359
- Battle of Ctesiphon (363)
- Battle of Samarra 363 AD
Uprising of Syrian Legion 232 AD
Palmyrene revolt 272
- Battle of Immae
- Battle of Emesa
Battle of Callinicum 296
Jewish revolt against Gallus 351–352
Isauria rebellion of 404
Byzantine–Sasanian wars 421–628
- Roman–Sasanian War (421–422)
- Anastasian War (502–506)
- Iberian War (526–532)
  - Battle of Callinicum 531
- Roman–Persian War of 572–591
- Byzantine–Sasanian War of 602–628
  - Antioch riots 610
  - Battle of Antioch (613)
  - Jewish revolt against Heraclius 610-28
    - Siege of Jerusalem (614)
  - Shahin's invasion of Asia Minor (615)
  - Sassanid conquest of Egypt 618–621
  - Battle of Issus
  - Byzantine assault on Persia 624-25
  - Siege of Constantinople (626)
  - Third Perso-Turkic War
  - Battle of Nineveh (627)
Samaritan Revolts 484–573
- Samaritan revolt against Zeno 484
- Revolt against Anastasius I
- Third Samaritan revolt 529–531
- Fourth Samaritan Revolt 555–572
Mazdak revolt in Persia 524 (or 528)
Nika riots in Constantinople 532
Battle of Dhi Qar – tribal rebellion in Sasanian Persia

Muslim conquests
- Ridda wars 632–633
- Muslim conquest of the Levant
  - Battle of Yarmouk 636
- Arab conquest of Armenia
- Muslim conquest of Egypt
- Umayyad conquest of North Africa
- Muslim conquest of Persia
- Arab- Turgesh wars
  - Day of Thirst in 724
  - Battle of the Defile in 731
- Arab–Khazar wars
Abbasid Caliphate conflicts
- Abbasid revolt
  - Battle of the Zab 750
- Arab–Byzantine wars 780–1180
  - Battle of Krasos 804/5
  - Battle of Anzen 838
  - Sack of Amorium 838
  - Sack of Damietta (853)
  - Battle of Lalakaon 863
  - John Kourkouas' campaigns
    - First Melitene campaign and conquest of Kalikala 926–930
    - Second Malitene campaign 931–934
  - Sayf al-Dawla campaigns
    - Conquest of Aleppo 944
    - Battle of Marash (953)
    - Battle of Raban 958
    - Battle of Andrasos 960
    - Siege of Aleppo 962
    - Siege of Aleppo 964
- Mudhar-Yamani conflict 793-96
Byzantine-Paulician Wars
- Battle of Bathys Ryax 872 (878?)
Persian Zoroastrian Revolts 8th–9th centuries
- Behavarid revolt in Persia 8th century
- Babak's revolt 816-37
  - Ahmad ibn al Junayd's campaign 823-24
  - Muhammad ibn Humayd Tusi's campaign 827-29
  - Afshin's campaign 835-837/838
- Maziar revolt 839
Byzantine–Seljuq wars 1048–1308
- Battle of Manzikert 1071
Nizari Ismaili uprising in Persia and Syria
- Nizari–Seljuk conflicts 1090–1194
Crusades
- People's Crusade 1095–96
- First Crusade 1099
  - Battle of Ascalon 1099
  - Crusade of 1101
  - Battle of Ager Sanguinis 1119
  - Battle of Azaz 1125
- Second Crusade 1145–49
  - Battle of Inab 1149
- Baldwin's campaigns
  - Siege of Ascalon (1153)
  - Crusader invasions of Egypt 1154–69
    - Battle of al-Babein
- Third Crusade 1189–92
  - Siege of Acre (1189–91)
- Livonian Crusade
- German Crusade
- Fourth Crusade
- Children's Crusade
- Fifth Crusade
- Sixth Crusade
- Seventh Crusade
- Shepherds' Crusade (1251)
- Eighth Crusade
- Ninth Crusade
- Shepherds' Crusade (1320)
Saladin's campaigns
- Egyptian revolt 1169
- Darum Siege 1170
- Yemen conquest 1174
- Battle of Hama 1175
- Capture of Damascus 1174
- Battle of Jacob's Ford 1179
- Fight for Mosul 1182
- Battle of Al-Fule (1183)
- Siege of Kerak 1183
- Battle of Cresson 1187
- Battle of Hattin 1187
- Siege of Jerusalem (1187)
Mongol invasions to Middle East 13th century.
- Battle of Köse Dağ 1243
- Siege of Baghdad (1258)
- Hulagu Khan's conquest of Syria 1260
  - Sack of Sidon 1260
  - Siege of Aleppo (1260)
  - Battle of Ain Jalut 1260
  - First Battle of Homs 1260
- Battle of Elbistan 1277
- Second Battle of Homs 1281
- Mongol raids into Bilad al-Sham 1299–1300
  - Battle of Wadi al-Khazandar 1299
Timur Conquests
- Battle of Ankara (Battle of Angora) 1402
Ottoman Interregnum 1402–1413
Sheikh Bedreddin revolt 1416
Byzantine–Ottoman Wars 1265–1453

Early modern period

Early Ottoman expansion

Ottoman era period conflicts 1453–1516

Yazidi uprising against Safavids 1506–1510
Şahkulu Rebellion 1511

Conflicts involving the Ottoman empire

Ottoman–Persian Wars 16th–19th centuries
Jelali revolts 1519–1659
Conflicts between the Ottomans and the Druze of Mount Lebanon
- 1585 Ottoman expedition against the Druze
- Battle of Majdel Anjar 1622
- 1633 conflict
- 1642 conflict
- 1660 conflict
- 1683–1699 conflict
- Battle of Ain Dara 1711
Cretan War (1645–69)
- Atmeydanı Incident
- Çınar Incident 1656

Late modern period

Conflicts involving the Ottoman empire

Edirne revolt 1703
1717 Omani invasion of Bahrain
Patrona Halil uprising 1730
Zahir al-Umar Revolt (Galilee) 1742–1743
Ali Bey Al-Kabir Revolt (Egypt) 1769–1772
Bajalan uprising 1775
French campaign in Egypt and Syria 1798–1801
Baban uprising 1806–1808
Ottoman coups of 1807–08
- Kabakçı Mustafa revolt
Muhammad Ali's campaigns
Russo-Persian War (1826–28)
Cizre uprising 1829
Atçalı Kel Mehmet revolt 1829–30
Prince Mohammad of Soran uprising 1833
Yezidi uprising 1837
Sîncar uprising 1837

Ottoman Tanzimat period

First Botan uprising 1843
Bedr Khan Bey uprising 1843
Culemerg uprising 1843
Bedirhan Bey uprising 1847^[1]
Massacre of Aleppo (1850)
Yezdan Sher uprising 1855^[2]
1860 Druze–Maronite conflict
- French expedition in Syria 1860–61
Qatari–Bahraini War 1867–68
Russo-Turkish War (1877–78)
Urabi Revolt (Egypt) 1879–82
Shaykh 'Ubaydullah of Nehri and Shemdinan uprising 1880–1881^[3]
Royal Civil War in Arabia 1887–91
- Battle of Mulayda 1891
1892 Tobacco Rebellion (Iran)
Hamidian massacres 1894–96
- Zeitun Rebellion (1895–96)
Unification of Saudi Arabia
- Saudi–Rashidi War 1903–06
Persian Constitutional Revolution 1908–09
Young Turk Revolution 1908–09
- 31 March Incident 1909
Adana massacre 1909
Hauran Druze Rebellion 1909
Zaraniq rebellion 1909–1910 (c. 830+ fatalities)
1913 Ottoman coup d'état
Middle Eastern theatre of World War I 1914–1918
- Sinai and Palestine Campaign
- Mesopotamian campaign
- Caucasus Campaign
- Persian Campaign
- Gallipoli Campaign
- North African Campaign (World War I)
- Arab Revolt
- Armenian genocide
- Assyrian genocide
- 1st Dersim rebellion

Post-Ottoman era conflicts

[1]
Ergil, Doğu, PKK: The Kurdistan Workers' Party, in Marianne Heiberg, Brendan O'Leary, John Tirman, eds., Terror, insurgency, and the state: ending protracted conflicts, University of Pennsylvania Press, 2007, p.356
[2]
Chaliand, Gérard, The Kurdish tragedy, Palgrave Macmillan, 1994, p.25
[3]
Vanly, Ismet Chériff, The Kurds in the Soviet Union, in Philip G. Kreyenbroek, Stefan Sperl, eds., The Kurds: a contemporary overview, Routledge, 2000, p.196

[1] [1]
Ergil, Doğu, PKK: The Kurdistan Workers' Party, in Marianne Heiberg, Brendan O'Leary, John Tirman, eds., Terror, insurgency, and the state: ending protracted conflicts, University of Pennsylvania Press, 2007, p.356

[2] [2]
Chaliand, Gérard, The Kurdish tragedy, Palgrave Macmillan, 1994, p.25

[3] [3]
Vanly, Ismet Chériff, The Kurds in the Soviet Union, in Philip G. Kreyenbroek, Stefan Sperl, eds., The Kurds: a contemporary overview, Routledge, 2000, p.196

[1]

[2]

[3]

Bronze Age

Egypt

Mesopotamia

Levant

Anatolia

Early Iron Age

Classical antiquity

Greco-Persian domination

Roman, Parthian and Sassanid domination

Early modern period

Early Ottoman expansion

Conflicts involving the Ottoman empire

Late modern period

Conflicts involving the Ottoman empire

Ottoman Tanzimat period

Post-Ottoman era conflicts

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List of conflicts in the Near East

Bronze Age

Egypt

Mesopotamia

Levant

Anatolia

Early Iron Age

Classical antiquity

Greco-Persian domination

Roman, Parthian and Sassanid domination

Early modern period

Early Ottoman expansion

Conflicts involving the Ottoman empire

Late modern period

Conflicts involving the Ottoman empire

Ottoman Tanzimat period

Post-Ottoman era conflicts

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Ancient times

Medieval times

Modern times

See also

References