Atlas of Battles

battle, landmark, ancient

Battle of Kadesh

Battle of Kadesh was a battle fought in May 1274 BC at Kadesh, in what is now Syria. The recorded result: Inconclusive.

See it on the globe Read the article

Battle of Kadesh
Wikimedia Commons, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
FoughtMay 1274 BC
WhereKadesh, Syria34.555N, 36.498E
OutcomeInconclusive
BelligerentsEgyptian EmpireagainstHittite Empire
Casualties and lossesUnknown (presumed heavy)andUnknown (~2,000 chariots destroyed)

Record

DateMay 1274 BC (month precision)
PlaceKadesh, Syria
34.555N, 36.498E
KindBattle, ancient
Strength16,000 infantry; 2,000 chariots; 4,000 charioteers15,000–40,000 infantry (not engaged); 2,500 chariots; 9,000–11,100 charioteers
Casualties and lossesUnknown (presumed heavy)Unknown (~2,000 chariots destroyed)
Commanders
  • Ramesses II
  • Muwatalli II
  • Ḫattušili III
  • Aleppo
Battle of KadeshBattle of KadeshSiege of DapurBattle of EmesaSecond Battle of HomsFirst Battle of HomsSiege of EmesaBattle of EmesaSecond Battle of HomsDamascusBeirutṬarābulusHamahTartusTadmurAd NabkLatakia100 km34.555N, 36.498E
The recorded site, with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

The ground today

Relief of the ground around the site of Battle of Kadesh
Relief within about 10.0 km of the site, contours every 10 m. Copernicus DEM GLO-30, ESA.
Satellite view of the site of Battle of Kadesh today
The same ground from Sentinel-2 on 2025-09-21. Contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data 2025.

The recorded site stands at about 506 m; within 10.0 km the ground runs from 494 to 576 m, 82 m of relief, gently rolling country and today it is 89% cropland, 4% grassland, 4% built-up.

cropland: 89%grassland: 4%built-up: 4%tree cover: 2%cropland 89%grassland 4%built-up 4%tree cover 2%
west to east, 10.0 km501 to 571 mnorth to south, 10.0 km499 to 518 m
Elevation from the Copernicus DEM GLO-30 (ESA, Airbus); land cover from ESA WorldCover 2021 (CC BY 4.0), within about 5 km of the recorded site. Computed, not recorded.

Nearest engagements

Battle of Kadesh is one of 7 engagements of the 13th century BC in the atlas and one of 133 in present-day Syria.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q203729, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Battle of Kadesh, revision 1380942414, read 2026-11-14, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the article's text is not reproduced here. Present-day country and state from Natural Earth. Dates before 1582 follow the Julian calendar as recorded.