Egyptian–Hittite Peace Treaty
Hattusa (near Boğazkale, Turkey), with Egyptian copies at Karnak, Egypt
What happened
Pharaoh Ramesses II of Egypt and King Hattusili III of the Hittite Empire made the treaty after years of war. For decades Egypt and the Hittite Empire fought for control of lands in what is now Syria, including at the great Battle of Kadesh. Both sides grew tired of the fighting, and the Hittites also feared the rising power of Assyria. Around 1259 BCE the two kings agreed to a treaty promising peace, to help each other against outside enemies, and to send back people who fled from one kingdom to the other.
Why it matters
Why it matters: It is one of the oldest known peace treaties in the world, with copies surviving from both sides. Peace between the two great empires lasted for the rest of Ramesses II's reign.
What came next
Ramesses II later married a Hittite princess, strengthening the friendship. A copy of the treaty is displayed at United Nations Headquarters in New York.
Did you know?
The original treaty was written on tablets of silver, one for each king, but those silver tablets have been lost.
Timeline
- c. 1274 BCEEgypt and the Hittites fight the Battle of Kadesh.
- c. 1259 BCERamesses II and Hattusili III agree the peace treaty.
- LaterRamesses II marries a Hittite princess.
- 1906Hugo Winckler finds the Hittite copy in the archives of Hattusa.
- 1986Hattusa becomes a UNESCO World Heritage Site.