11 Facts About Carchemish

Carchemish, spelled Karkemish was an important ancient capital in the northern part of the region of Syria.

Carchemish is an extensive set of ruins, located on the West bank of Euphrates River, about 60 kilometres southeast of Gaziantep, Turkey, and 100 kilometres northeast of Aleppo, Syria.

Carchemish had been previously identified, incorrectly, with the Classical city of Circesium, at the confluence of the Khabur River and the Euphrates; while some early scholars thought that Jarabulus could be Hierapolis Bambyce, that site is actually located at Manbij in Syria.

Little is known until the 1620s, when the city is mentioned in connection with the siege of Urshu by the Hittite king Hattusili I At that time, Carchemish was allied with the kingdom of Yamhad, centered in Aleppo, in supporting Urshu, but their efforts were unsuccessful, and the city fell, along with many other Syrian cities.

Pharaoh Thutmose I of the Eighteenth Dynasty erected a stele near Carchemish to celebrate his conquest of Syria and other lands beyond the Euphrates.

Related searches

Carchemish ruled in early 10th century BC, and was followed by Astuwalamanza.

Carchemish was a great scholar, and left extensive records of his time.

Carchemish was conquered by Sargon II in 717 BC in the reign of King Pisiri, the last ruler of the House of Astiruwa.

Carchemish was represented as a dignified woman wearing a long robe, standing or seated, and holding a mirror.

Carchemish was called Il-Karkamis, “God of Karkemish”, as is evidenced on an Old Babylonian hematite cylinder seal in the British Museum collections.

Carchemish was seen as a Stag-god, and his cult was probably introduced to Carchemish under the Mitannian influence.