This is a list of conflicts in the Near East arranged chronologically from the epipaleolithic until the end of the late modern period ( – c. AD 1945). The Near East is generally associated with Anatolia, the Levant, Mesopotamia, Persia, Egypt, the Arabian Peninsula, and the Caucasus.
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. Ancient times
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 The Hittites sack 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 First Syrian campaign Second Syrian campaign 1274 BC Battle of Kadesh Third Syrian campaign 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 First Syrian War (274–271 BC) Second Syrian War (260–253 BC) Third Syrian War (246–241 BC) Fourth Syrian War (219–217 BC) Fifth Syrian War (202–195 BC) Sixth Syrian War (170–168 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 Crassus invasion to Mesopotamia 53 BCE Battle of Carrhae Antony's Parthian War Battle of Mount Gindarus Siege of Jerusalem 37 BC Antropatene campaign Armenian campaign Roman–Parthian War of 58–63 AD Battle of Nisibis (217) Aelius Gallus campaign in Arabia 24 BC Alexandria pogroms 38 AD Jewish–Roman wars 66–136 AD Great Revolt of Judea 67–70 AD Kitos War 117–119 AD Bar Kokhba Revolt 132–136 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
Medieval times 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 First invasion of Mesopotamia Second invasion of Mesopotamia Battle of al-Qādisiyyah Battle of Nahāvand Persian Rebellion 649-51 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