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
  • 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
  • Rise of the Ottomans 1265–1328
  • Byzantium counter: 1328–1341
  • Siege of Nicaea (1328–31)
  • Siege of Nicomedia 1333–1337
  • Balkan invasion and civil war: 1341–1371
  • Byzantine civil war and vassalage: 1371–1394
  • Resumption of hostilities: 1394–1424
  • Ottoman campaign on Constantinopolis 1424–1453

Modern times

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
  • Battle of Chaldiran 1514
  • Ottoman–Safavid War (1532–55)
  • Ottoman–Safavid War (1578–90)
  • Ottoman–Safavid War (1603–18)
  • Battle of DimDim 1609–10
  • Ottoman–Safavid War (1623–39)
  • Abaza rebellion
  • Ottoman–Persian War (1730–35)
  • Ottoman–Persian War (1743–1746)
  • Ottoman–Persian War (1775–1776)
  • Ottoman–Persian War (1821–1823)
  • 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
  • Cairo revolt 1798
  • Battle of the Nile
  • Siege of Jaffa
  • Battle of Mount Tabor (1799)
  • Siege of Acre (1799)
  • Baban uprising 1806–1808
  • Ottoman coups of 1807–08
  • Kabakçı Mustafa revolt
  • Muhammad Ali's campaigns
  • Muhammad Ali's seizure of power 1803–07
  • Fraser campaign (1807)
  • Ottoman–Saudi War 1811–18
  • Egyptian–Ottoman War (1831–33)
  • Syrian Peasant revolts
  • Palestine and Transjordan revolt 1834
  • Alawite revolt (1834–35)
  • 1838 Druze revolt
  • Egyptian–Ottoman War (1839–41)
  • 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
  • Massacre of Aleppo (1850)
  • Yezdan Sher uprising 1855
  • 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
  • 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
  • Arab Revolt
  • Armenian genocide
  • Assyrian genocide
  • 1st Dersim rebellion

Post-Ottoman era conflicts

See also

  • Conflicts in the Horn of Africa
  • List of conflicts in Africa
  • List of conflicts in Asia
  • List of conflicts in Central America
  • List of conflicts in Europe
  • List of conflicts in North America
  • List of conflicts in South America
  • List of modern conflicts in North Africa

References