Siege of Harran

After the death of Assubanipal, in 627 BC, the Assyrian Empire entered a period of instability caused by the revolt of Sin-shar-ishkun against his brother Ashur-etil-ilani. This was the moment when the Babylonian ruler, Nabopolassar led a revolt against Assyrian rule. After a few years of war, the Babylonians expelled the Assyrian forces from their territory. The situation became highly dangerous for Assyria with the offensive of Cyaxares, king of the Medes, in 616 BC. The Median forces swiftly conquered Tarbisu and decisively defeated the Assyrian army at the battle of Assur. Then, they joined the Babylonian army and launched a combined offensive on Nineveh in 612 BC. After the battle of Nineveh, where the Assyrian king Sin-Shar-Ishkun died, Ashur-uballit II became king and went to Harran with his remaining troops. But the Medes and the Babylonians besieged Harran in 610 BC and took the city in 609 BC, forcing Assur-Uballit II to flee again with the remnants of his army. During this same year, Egyptian and Assyrian forces left the Egyptian city of Carchemish and attacked the Medes and the Babylonians garrisoned in Harran, but this offensive failed and this ended the Assyrian Empire.