Syria is a country located in the Middle East on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea and bordered, from the north down to the west, by Turkey, Iraq, Jordan, Israel, and Lebanon. It is one of the oldest inhabited regions in the world with archaeological finds dating the first human habitation at c. 700,000 years ago. The Dederiyeh Cave near Aleppo has produced a number of significant finds, such as bones, placing Neanderthal habitation in the region at that time and shows continual occupation of the site over a substantial period.
More about: Ancient SyriaDefinition
Timeline
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c. 6000 BCESettlement of Tell Brak founded in Syria.
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c. 3000 BCE - c. 2300 BCEThe Semitic Kish culture is dominant in the area of modern-day Syria. This culure is exemplified by Ebla and the Cities I and II of Mari.
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c. 3000 BCETrade already established between Syria and Egypt.
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c. 3000 BCECity of Ebla founded in Syria.
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c. 3000 BCE - c. 2900 BCEMari, the earliest known planned city, is built near the eastern bank of the Euphrates.
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2334 BCE - 2279 BCEReign of Sargon the Great of Akkad who conquers Syria.
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c. 2240 BCENaram-Sin of Akkad campaigns against the Amorites in northern Syria.
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1344 BCE - 1322 BCEReign of the Hittite king Suppiluliuma I. Hittites conquer Syria.
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1274 BCEBattle of Kadesh between Pharaoh Ramesses II of Egypt and King Muwatalli II of the Hittites.
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c. 1245 BCEAssyrian king Tukulti-Ninurta I defeats Hittites at Nihriya. Assyrians rule Syria.
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c. 1200 BCERegion of Syria invaded by Sea Peoples.
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912 BCE - 612 BCESyria is part of the Neo-Assyrian Empire.
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605 BCE - 549 BCEBabyon rules over Syria.
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549 BCE - 300 BCEThe Persian Achaemenid Empire rules Syria.
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332 BCEAlexander the Great conquers Phoenicia and turns toward Egypt.
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312 BCE - 83 BCESyria under the rule of Seleucid Empire.
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274 BCE - 271 BCEThe first Syrian war, marking the beginning of the contest between the Ptolemies and the Seleucids for Phoenicia and Coele-Syria.
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83 BCETigranes the Great of Armenia liberates Syria and rules the region.
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64 BCEPompey the Great claims Syria for Rome.
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63 BCEJerash in Jordan becomes part of the Roman province of Syria.
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66 CE - 73 CESyrian troops participate in the First Jewish-Roman War.
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c. 115 CE - c. 116 CERoman Empire annexes Syria.
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c. 125 CE - c. 180 CELife of the Rhetorician and Satirist Lucian of Samosata, an Hellenized Syrian writing in Attic Greek during the Second Sophistic.
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132 CE - 136 CESyrian troops under Rome suppress the Bar Kokhba Revolt.
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476 CEFall of the Western Roman Empire. Syria continues under Eastern (Byzantine)Empire.
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637 CEMuslim forces defeat the Byzantine army. Syria becomes part of Rashidun Caliphate.
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970 CEThe Treaty of Safar makes Aleppo a client state of the Byzantine Empire.
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975 CEJohn I Tzimiskes invades Syria, conquering several cities and forcing neighboring Muslim states such as Damascus to pay tribute to the Byzantines.
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c. 1141 CEThe Assassins occupy Masyaf castle in Syria.
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Dec 1259 CEThe Mongols besiege and capture Aleppo in Syria.
