Replica of Peace Treaty between Hattusilis and Ramses II
This Kadesh Peace Treaty is a copper replica of the original which is the oldest known peace treaty. The original clay tablet treaty, dated 1269 BC, was signed by Hattusilli III, King of the Hittites, and Ramses, Pharaoh of the Egyptians. The treaty marked the end of a long war between the Hittite Empire and the Egyptians, who had fought for over two centuries to gain mastery over the lands of the eastern Mediterranean. Found in 1906, in central Anatolia, Turkiye, on the site of the old Hittite capital, Hattusa, it records the text in cuneiform script. The original is kept at the Archaeological Museum in Istanbul. The replica was made by Sadi Calik, a sculptor and lecturer at the Istanbul College of Fine Arts.
The treaty pledges eternal friendship, lasting peace, territorial integrity, nonaggression, extradition, and mutual help. The pledges in this treaty are similar to the United Nations ideals. The replica was presented to the United Nations by Ihsan Sabri Caglayangil, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Turkiye on behalf of the country of Turkiye and accepted by Secretary-General U Thant. It is placed in the second-floor delegates corridor of the Conference building, near the entrance of the Security Council Chamber.