Siege of Avaris
1550 BCE · Avaris, Nile Delta, Egypt
The Siege of Avaris was fought in 1550 BCE in Avaris, Nile Delta, Egypt between Theban Egypt vs the Hyksos; Egyptian victory; the Hyksos were expelled and the New Kingdom began.
Siege of Avaris: quick facts
- Date
- 1550 BCE
- Location
- Avaris, Nile Delta, Egypt
- Belligerents
- Theban Egypt vs the Hyksos
- Commanders
- Ahmose I vs Khamudi
- Result
- Egyptian victory; the Hyksos were expelled and the New Kingdom began.
- Era
- 🏛️ Ancient Egypt & Mesopotamia
- Quiz difficulty
- hard
What happened at the Siege of Avaris?
Pharaoh Ahmose I besieged and captured Avaris, the capital of the Hyksos, a foreign dynasty of likely Canaanite origin that had ruled Lower Egypt for over a century. The Hyksos had introduced the horse-drawn chariot and composite bow to Egypt, technologies the Egyptians now turned against them. The fall of Avaris reunified Egypt under native rule and inaugurated the New Kingdom, the most powerful and prosperous era of ancient Egyptian civilization. Ahmose pursued the Hyksos into southern Canaan, establishing Egyptian influence in the Levant.
Did you know?
The Hyksos, expelled from Avaris, had actually introduced several military innovations to Egypt including the composite bow, horse-drawn chariot, and improved bronze weapons that Egypt then used to build an empire.
Sources and further reading
- Siege of Avaris 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.