The Siege of Ascalon took place in 1153, resulting in the capture of that Egyptian fortress by the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem. Events January 6 - Henry of Anjou arrives in England. ... This article is about the medieval crusades. ... Official language Latin, French, Italian, and other western languages; Greek and Arabic also widely spoken Capital Jerusalem, later Acre Constitution Various laws, so-called Assizes of Jerusalem The Kingdom of Jerusalem was a Christian kingdom established in the Levant in 1099 by the First Crusade. ...

Background

Ascalon was Fatimid Egypt's greatest frontier fortress. A battle was fought there in 1099 in the aftermath of the First Crusade and the fall of Jerusalem to the crusaders, but although the crusaders were victorious, internal disputes in their camp allowed Ascalon to remain in Egyptian hands. Thereafter, the Fatimids were able to launch raids into the kingdom every year, and the southern border of the crusader kingdom remained unstable. The Fatimids or Fatimid Caliphate (Arabic الفاطميون) is the Ismaili Shiite dynasty that ruled much of North Africa from A.D. 5 January 910 to 1171. ... The Battle of Ascalon took place on August 12, 1099, and is often considered the last action of the First Crusade. ... 1099 also refers to a United States tax form used for--among other things--independent contractors. ... The First Crusade was launched in 1095 by Pope Urban II to regain control of the sacred city of Jerusalem and the Christian Holy Land from Muslims. ... The Siege of Jerusalem took place from June 7 to July 15, 1099 during the First Crusade. ...

After the failure of the Second Crusade in 1148, Conrad III of Germany attempted to besiege the fortress, but was forced to withdraw when no help was forthcoming from Jerusalem or other crusaders. Meanwhile, the territory to the east and north of Jerusalem was united under Nur ad-Din, who ruled Mosul and Aleppo and brought Damascus under his influence after the Second Crusade. In 1149 Nur ad-Din defeated the Principality of Antioch at the Battle of Inab. Nur ad-Din was unable to overrun Antioch entirely, nor was he able to penetrate far into the Kingdom of Jerusalem, but likewise there was little Jerusalem could do in the north and the east with the whole area united under one strong ruler. The crusader kingdom would have to look towards Egypt if they wanted to expand. The Second Crusade was the second major crusade launched from Europe, called in 1145 in response to the fall of the County of Edessa the previous year. ... King Conrad III (Miniature, 13th century) Conrad III (1093-1152), the first German king of the Hohenstaufen dynasty, was the son of Frederick I, Duke of Swabia. ... al-Malik al-Adil Nur ad-Din Abu al-Qasim Mahmud Ibn Imad ad-Din Zangi (1118 – May 15, 1174), also known as Nur ed-Din, Nur al-Din, etc. ... Mosul (36°22′N 43°07′E; Arabic: , Kurdish: لموصل Mûsil, Assyrian: ܢܝܢܘܐ Nîněwâ) is a city in northern Iraq. ... Old Town Aleppo viewed from the Citadel Aleppo is also the name of two townships in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. ... Damascus by night, pictured from Jabal Qasioun; the green spots are minarets Damascus (Arabic officially دمشق Dimashq, colloquially ash-Sham الشام) is the capital city of Syria. ... Events Castle of Carimate destroyed. ... The Principality of Antioch, including parts of modern-day Turkey and Syria, was one of the crusader states created during the First Crusade. ... The Battle of Inab took place on June 29 between Nur ad-Din and Raymond of Antioch. ...

Around 1150, Baldwin III of Jerusalem rebuilt the city of Gaza, which at that point lay in ruins. The city was handed over to the Knights Templar, and provided some defense against the continual raids from Ascalon. Other fortresses had also been built in the area since the establishment of the kingdom, including Ibelin and Montgisard. However, Jerusalem itself was soon divided by civil war. Baldwin III was the legal heir to the kingdom, but his mother Queen Melisende had been ruling as regent since 1143. In 1152 Baldwin finally demanded full control of the kingdom; after some brief fighting he was able to accomplish this goal. Later that year Baldwin also defeated a Turkish invasion of the Kingdom. Events Åhus, Sweden gains city privileges City of Airdrie, Scotland founded King Sverker I of Sweden is deposed and succeeded by Eric IX of Sweden. ... Baldwin III (1130-1162) was king of Jerusalem from 1143-1162. ... The city of Gaza is the principal city in the Gaza Strip. ... The Seal of the Knights — the two riders have been interpreted as a sign of poverty or the duality of monk/soldier. ... Ibelin was a castle in the crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem in the 12th century (at modern Yavne, 31. ... A queen accepting fealty from a vassal, possibly Melisende herself, from the Melisende Psalter Melisende (1105 – September 11, 1161) was Queen of Jerusalem from 1131 to 1153. ... Events Celestine II is elected pope. ... Events March 4 - Frederick I Barbarossa is elected King of the Germans Eleanor of Aquitaine has her marriage to Louis VII annulled May 18 - Eleanor of Aquitaine marries Henry of Anjou Church of Ireland acknowledges Popes authority Almohad Dynasty conquers Algeria Establishment of the archbishopric of Nidaros (Trondheim), Norway...

Siege of Ascalon

Encouraged by these victories, Baldwin decided to make an assault on Ascalon in 1153. With the entire army of Jerusalem he marched to the fortress and began to destroy the surrounding orchards in January. Patriarch Fulcher was also present with the relic of the True Cross, along with Raymond du Puy de Provence and Bernard de Tremelay, the masters of the Hospitallers and Templars respectively, and all the other great barons of the kingdom, including Hugh of Ibelin, Philip of Milly, Humphrey II of Toron, and Raynald of Chatillon. The siege was undertaken both by land and by sea, with the fleet commanded by Gerard of Sidon. The crusader force was also bolstered by a large group of pilgrims, who happened to be on their way to Jerusalem at the time. An orchard is an intentional planting of trees or shrubs maintained for food production. ... According to Christian tradition, the True Cross is the cross upon which Jesus was crucified. ... Raymond du Puy de Provence was the second Grand Master of the Order of St John of Jerusalem (Knights Hospitaller). ... Bernard de Tramelay (died August 16, 1153) was the fourth Grand Master of the Knights Templar. ... The Knights Hospitaller (also known by such names as Knights of Rhodes, Knights of Malta, Cavaliers of Malta, & Order of St John of Jerusalem) is a tradition which began as a Benedictine nursing Order founded in Jerusalem, following the First Crusade, ca. ... Hugh of Ibelin (died c. ... Philip of Milly, also known as Philip of Nablus (c. ... Humphrey II of Toron (1117-1179) was lord of Toron and constable of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. ... Raynald of Châtillon (also Reynald or Reginald of Chastillon) (c. ...

Siege towers were constructed, and for five months there were many skirmishes and victories and defeats on both sides. Ascalon was vast and virtually impenetrable; behind its massive walls and gates were twice as many defenders as there were besiegers outside, and there were supplies of food to last for years. In May the Egyptian fleet arrived to resupply the city; Gerard of Sidon's little fleet could do nothing to stop them. However, a setback for Ascalon occurred in August when the besieged tried to burn down one of the crusader siege towers; the wind pushed the fire back against their own walls, causing a large section to collapse. A siege tower is a specialized siege engine, constructed to protect assailants and ladders whilst approaching the defensive walls of a fortification. ...

According to William of Tyre, knights of the Order rushed through the breach without Baldwin's knowledge while Bernard de Tremelay, the Master of the Temple, prevented other crusaders from following as he did not want to share the spoils of the city with the king. Bernard and about forty of his Templars were killed by the larger Egyptian garrison. Their bodies were displayed on the ramparts and their heads were sent to the sultan. William of Tyre (c. ... Bernard de Tramelay (died August 16, 1153) was the fourth Grand Master of the Knights Templar. ...

In a differing account by a Damascene chronicler in the city, the breach of the wall is simply mentioned as a pre-cursor to the fall of the city; he makes no mention of the incident with the Templars. Because of William of Tyre's dislike of the Order, and the wildly innacurate news that reached Europe during the crusades, his account must be treated with caution; but regardless of which account is believed, Bernard was killed during the fighting. Damascus by night, pictured from Jabal Qasioun; the green spots are minarets Damascus (Arabic officially دمشق Dimashq, colloquially ash-Sham الشام) is the capital city of Syria. ...

By now the crusaders were becoming fatigued and it was suggested that they abandon the siege. The Hospitallers and the Patriarch, however, convinced the king that they were on the verge of victory. Three days later another assault was made, and another entrance was forced. After bitter fighting the city fell to the crusaders on August 19, and the fortress was formally surrendered to them three days later. The citizens were allowed to leave in peace; most fled back to Egypt. August 19 is the 231st day of the year (232nd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ...

Aftermath

Ascalon was turned into a diocese directly under the Patriarch of Jerusalem, although in earlier times it had been a suffragan of the Bishop of Bethlehem. The city's mosque was reconsecrated as a church. The city was also added to the County of Jaffa, which was already held by Baldwin III's brother Amalric. The double County of Jaffa and Ascalon later became the most important crusader seigneury, held either as an apanage to the crown or granted to influential barons. Pope Pius XI blesses Bishop Stephen Alencastre as fifth Apostolic Vicar of the Hawaiian Islands in a Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace window. ... The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem is one of the Roman Catholic patriarchs of the east. ... The Church of the Nativity, a Bethlehem Landmark Bethlehem (Arabic بيت لحم Bayt Laḥm [▶] house of meat; Standard Hebrew בית לחם house of bread, Bet léḥem / Bet láḥem; Tiberian Hebrew Bêṯ léḥem / Bêṯ lāḥem) is a Palestinian city in the West Bank and a hub of Palestinian cultural and... Amalric I (also Amaury or Aimery) (1136 – July 11, 1174) was King of Jerusalem 1162–1174, and Count of Jaffa and Ascalon before his accession. ... The double County of Jaffa and Ascalon was one of the four major seigneuries of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, according to 13th-century commentator John of Ibelin. ... The system of appanage has greatly influenced the territorial construction of France and explains the flag of many provinces of France. ...

The fall of Ascalon contributed to the downfall of Fatimid Egypt. Amalric succeeded his brother as king of Jerusalem in 1162, and throughout the 1160s led numerous expeditions from Ascalon into Egypt; these failed to bring Egypt under crusader control, and in fact led to the unification of Egypt and Syria under Saladin, who ultimately conquered the Kingdom of Jerusalem in 1187. // Events June 3 - Thomas Becket consecrated as Archbishop of Canterbury. ... Saladin, from a 12th-century Arab codex Saladin (1137 or 1138–1193; Kurdish: Selahaddin Eyyübi; Arabic: Salah ad-Din Yusuf Ibn Ayyub; صلاح الدين يوسف ابن ايوب; Salah ad-Din is an honorific that means The Righteousness of the Faith in Arabic) was a 12th century Kurdish Muslim military general who founded the Ayyubid... // Events May 1 - Battle of Cresson - Saladin defeats the crusaders July 4 - Saladin defeats Guy of Lusignan, King of Jerusalem, at the Battle of Hattin. ...

Sources

• The Damascus Chronicle of the Crusaders, extracted and translated from the Chronicle of Ibn al-Qalanisi. Edited and translated by H. A. R. Gibb. London, 1932.
• William of Tyre. A History of Deeds Done Beyond the Sea. Edited and translated by E. A. Babcock and A. C. Krey. Columbia University Press, 1943.
• Steven Runciman, A History of the Crusades, vol. II: The Kingdom of Jerusalem and the Frankish East, 1100-1187. Cambridge University Press, 1952.
• Malcolm Barber, The New Knighthood (Great Britian; Cambridge University Press, 1994), p. 74-75