Fall of Nineveh
612 BCE · Nineveh (modern Mosul, Iraq)
The Fall of Nineveh was fought in 612 BCE in Nineveh (modern Mosul, Iraq) between Babylonians and Medes vs the Neo-Assyrian Empire; decisive Babylonian-Median victory; the Assyrian capital was destroyed and the empire collapsed.
Fall of Nineveh: quick facts
- Date
- 612 BCE
- Location
- Nineveh (modern Mosul, Iraq)
- Belligerents
- Babylonians and Medes vs the Neo-Assyrian Empire
- Commanders
- Nabopolassar and Cyaxares vs Sin-shar-ishkun
- Result
- decisive Babylonian-Median victory; the Assyrian capital was destroyed and the empire collapsed.
- Era
- 🏛️ Ancient Egypt & Mesopotamia
- Quiz difficulty
- medium
What happened at the Fall of Nineveh?
A coalition of Babylonians under Nabopolassar and Medes under Cyaxares besieged Nineveh, the magnificent capital of the Assyrian Empire. After three months, unusually heavy rains caused the Tigris to flood and breach a section of the massive city walls. The allies stormed through the gap and sacked the city. The Assyrian king Sin-shar-ishkun perished in the flames of his palace. The fall of Nineveh ended the Assyrian Empire, which had terrorized the Near East for centuries.
Did you know?
The flooding of the Tigris that breached Nineveh's walls fulfilled a prophecy in the Book of Nahum, which predicted the city would be destroyed 'with an overrunning flood.'
Sources and further reading
- Fall of Nineveh on Wikipedia for the full account, historiography and primary sources.
- How BattleGuess compiles and checks battle facts: see the About page.
Entry last reviewed 26 September 2026.