Treaty of Kadesh
The Treaty of Kadesh, concluded between Ramesses II and the Hittite king Hattusili III around 1259 BCE, is the earliest recorded international peace treaty for which both versions survive. The Egyptian text is preserved in hieroglyphics on the walls of the temples of Karnak and the Ramesseum; the Hittite version survives on clay tablets excavated at Hattusa (modern Bogazkoy in Turkey). The two texts correspond closely, establishing: non-aggression and mutual recognition of territorial control (Egypt retaining Palestine and Canaan, the Hittites retaining Syria); mutual assistance in case of external attack or internal rebellion; and extradition of fugitives. The treaty was sealed by the marriage of a Hittite princess to Ramesses II. A clay tablet replica of the Hittite version hangs in the United Nations Security Council chamber in New York as a symbol of international diplomacy.
- Year: 1259 BCE
- Category: Political
