Tunip
 Shown within Syria
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| Location | Syria |
|---|---|
| Region | Hama Governorate |
| Coordinates | Coordinates: 35°17′13″N 36°23′52″E / 35.2869°N 36.3978°E |
Tunip was a city-state in western Syria in 1350–1335 BC, the period of the Amarna letters. The name "Syria" did not yet exist, though this was already the time of ancient Assyria. The regions were: Amurru, Nuhašše, the Amqu (the Beqaa), Nii, etc.
The record of the appellation 'Tunip' is mainly from Egyptian records, (Thutmose III, and Ramesses II), and especially the Amarna letters. (But a king named Tunip-Tessup is also known from roughly the same period.)
Tunip is especially mentioned in the Amarna letters of Aziru, residing in Amurru and in conflict with the king of Hatti. He is often claiming to reside in Tunip, until it is safe to leave, or to try to defend other cities/city-states of his region. The local region in Syria, Nuhašše is also in conflict, and is mentioned in 7 of Aziru's 13 EA letters, (EA for 'el Amarna').
The exact location of Tunip remains uncertain, although there's now increasing evidence that it is at the site of Tell 'Acharneh.
This important city was sought either in northern Phoenicia (Helck 1973) or in the Middle Orontes. Two prominent sites have been suggested in the latter region: Tell Hama in the modern city of Hama (Astour 1977) and Tell Asharneh in the southern Ghab Valley northwest of Hama (Klengel 1995).
The 70 hectare site of Tell Asharneh (also known as Tell 'Acharneh) on the banks of the Orontes River (near Tell Salhab) in Syria has been widely seen as the likely location of Tunip. The authors of the above study support the identification of Tunip as Tell Asharneh based on petrographic analysis.
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