Fall of Arsuf
Fall of Arsuf (1265) | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Part of The Crusades | |||||||
![]() Ruins of Arsuf fortress | |||||||
| |||||||
Belligerents | |||||||
![]() | ![]() | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
![]() | Unknown | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
Unknown | 270 Knights[1] | ||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
Unknown | 90 killed 180 captured[2] |
- v
- t
- e
- Xerigordos
- Civetot
- Nicaea
- 1st Dorylaeum
- 1st Antioch
- Samosata
- 2nd Antioch
- Ma'arra
- Arqa
- 1st Jerusalem
- 1st Ascalon
Period post-First Crusade
- Arsuf
- Melitene
- Mersivan
- 1st Heraclea
- 2nd Heraclea
- 1st Ramla
- 2nd Ramla
- 1st Tripoli
- 1st Acre
- Harran
- 3rd Ramla
- Artah
- Beirut
- Sidon
- 1st Shaizar
- Al-Sannabra
- Sarmin
- Ager Sanguinis
- Hab
- Jaffa and Tyre
- Yibneh
- 1st Aleppo
- Azaz
- Marj al-Saffar
- al-Atharib
- Rafaniyya
- Antioch
- Qinnasrin
- Ba'rin
- 2nd Aleppo
- 2nd Shaizar
- Edessa 1144
- Edessa 1146
- Bosra
- 1st Constantinople
- 2nd Dorylaeum
- Ephesus
- Meander Valley
- Mount Cadmus
- Damascus
Period post-Second Crusade
- Inab
- Aintab
- 2nd Ascalon
- Lake Huleh
- Butaiha
- al-Buqaia
- Harim
- 1st Bilbeis
- al-Babein
- 2nd Bilbeis
- 1st Damietta
- Ayla
- Alexandria
- Montgisard
- Hama
- Banias
- Marj Ayyun
- Jacob's Ford
- 2nd Acre
- Red Sea
- 1st Belvoir Castle
- Al-Fule
- 1st Kerak
- Cresson
- 2nd Kerak
- Hattin
- 2nd Jerusalem
- 3rd Tyre
- 2nd Belvoir Castle
- Laodicea
- Sahyun
- Al-Shughur
- Bourzey
- Safed
- 3rd Acre
- Philomelion
- Iconium
- 1st Arsuf
- 1st Jaffa
Period post-Third Crusade
- 2nd Jaffa
- Toron
- Zara
- 2nd Constantinople
- 3rd Constantinople
- Mount Tabor
- Machghara
- 2nd Damietta
- 1st Fariskur
- 1st Mansurah
Sixth Crusade and aftermath
- Gaza
- 3rd Jerusalem
- Forbie
- 3rd Ascalon
- 3rd Damietta
- 2nd Mansurah
- 2nd Fariskur
End of the Crusader states in the Levant
- 2nd Arsuf
- Caesarea
- Haifa
- Safed
- 2nd Antioch
- Eighth Crusade
- Krak des Chevaliers
- 2nd Tripoli
- Lord Edward's Crusade
- Homs
- Margat
- 3rd Tripoli
- 4th Acre
- Ruad
In the year 1265, the Mamluk sultan, Baibars, besieged the Knights hospitaller's stronghold of Arsuf. Baibars successfully captured Arsuf.
Background
In 1261, Balian of Arsuf leased the Arsuf fort to Knights Hospitallers for 4,000 bezants a year in the hopes that the Knights would fortify the city against the threat posed by Baibars. After being given command of the city, the knights started building a fort there in 1263, most likely in an effort to increase the size of the eastern portion of the walls. According to Baibars, this was a betrayal of their agreement to a peace treaty.[3]
Siege
On March 21/22, 1265, a large and well-equipped Mamluk army led by the sultan himself besieged the fort of Arsuf. The fort was well prepared for the siege; the walls were strongly fortified, and the provisions were enough for a long siege. Baibars laid siege to the city for 35 days, and on April 26, the Mamluk launched a fierce assault that successfully pushed the Hospitallers to the citadel. The rest of the knights fought off the Mamluks for the next three days until they surrendered on condition they would depart freely. Baibars agreed but later reneged on his promise and took the rest to slavery. He even had the captives demolish the fort of Arsuf and leave it in ruins.[4][5]
References
Sources
- Slack, Corliss K. (2013). Historical Dictionary of the Crusades. Scarecrow Press.
- Gestes des Chiprois, Part III, ed. Gaston Raynaud, Genève, 1887
- Ruth E. Jackson-Tal & Oren Tal, Crusader Glass in Context: The Destruction of Arsur (Apollonia-Arsuf, Israel), April 1265.[1]
- Jonathan Riley-Smith, The Knights Hospitaller in the Levant, C.1070-1309.[2]