Nuhašše

Nuhašše was a region and possibly a kingdom in northern Syria during the Late Bronze Age (c. 1600-1200 BCE). Its precise geographical boundaries are debated, but it was generally located in the area between Aleppo and the Orontes River, likely encompassing parts of the modern-day Syrian governorates of Idlib and Hama.

Nuhašše is known primarily from texts written in Akkadian and Hittite. These texts describe it as being at times independent, at times a vassal state of larger powers such as the Mitanni and later the Hittite Empire.

The population of Nuhašše was likely a mix of Hurrian and Semitic peoples. Its cities included Ugulzat, Lawazantiya, and Šuwala. The region was known for its agricultural production, particularly its grain.

During the reign of the Hittite king Suppiluliuma I (c. 1344-1322 BCE), Nuhašše was conquered and incorporated into the Hittite Empire. It became a strategically important region for the Hittites, serving as a buffer zone against Mitanni and later Assyria.

After the collapse of the Hittite Empire around 1200 BCE, Nuhašše likely fragmented into smaller, independent city-states or was absorbed by neighboring kingdoms. The history of the region during the subsequent Iron Age is less well-documented.