Siege of Edessa (1146) facts for kids

The siege of Edessa in October–November 1146 was a major event during the Crusades. It marked the final end of Christian rule by the Counts of Edessa in the city. This happened just before the start of the Second Crusade. Edessa had already faced a difficult time. Just two years earlier, in December 1144, the city had been captured by Muslim forces.

In 1146, a Christian leader named Joscelyn II of Edessa and his ally Baldwin of Marash tried to take Edessa back. They used a clever plan to sneak into the city. However, they could not capture the strong fortress, called the citadel. Soon after, a powerful Muslim leader named Nūr al-Dīn arrived. He was from the Zengid family. Nūr al-Dīn quickly took back the city. Sadly, many Christian people in Edessa lost their lives or were taken captive. The city's walls were also torn down. This victory was very important for Nūr al-Dīn. It helped him become a stronger leader. It also meant the end of Edessa as a major Christian city.

How Joscelyn Took the City Back

When the first conqueror of Edessa, ʿImād al-Dīn Zangī, died in September 1146, people in Edessa saw a chance. The Armenian Christian community in the city started to secretly plan with Count Joscelyn II. They wanted to help him get the city back. There had been an earlier Armenian plan to retake the city. But Turkish soldiers stopped it in May. After that, 300 Jewish families were moved into the city by the Turks.

Joscelyn and his trusted friend Baldwin of Marash gathered an army. They had both horse soldiers (cavalry) and foot soldiers (infantry). They left from a place called Dülük in late October. They reached Edessa on October 27. That night, they entered the city. The people inside helped them by lowering ropes and ladders from the walls. The Turkish soldiers guarding the city were not paying enough attention.

Joscelyn quickly took control of the city. But the Turkish soldiers retreated into the citadel, the city's strong fortress. Joscelyn did not have the right tools or materials to attack the citadel. He could not properly surround it. So, Joscelyn sent messages asking for help from other Crusader leaders. One old story, the Chronicle of 1234, says that Prince Raymond I of Antioch refused to help. It said he was angry because Joscelyn and Baldwin did not see him as their ruler. But some historians think Raymond refused because the plan was not well thought out. During their short time controlling the city, which lasted only six days, Joscelyn's soldiers took things from shops and homes. They looted both Muslim and Christian properties. Most Muslim people either ran away to Ḥarrān or hid in the citadel with the Turkish soldiers.

Nūr al-Dīn's Attack on Edessa

Nūr al-Dīn had taken control of Aleppo after his father Zangī died. When he heard that Edessa had fallen, he stopped fighting with Raymond of Antioch. He quickly called for all men in his lands to join his army. He also asked for help from nearby Seljuk governors. Nūr al-Dīn marched from Aleppo to Edessa with a large army of 10,000 soldiers.

He arrived on November 2 and began to attack the city. He used powerful trebuchets, which were like giant slingshots for throwing stones. Joscelyn knew Nūr al-Dīn was coming because he had a spy. When Joscelyn realized he was trapped, he decided to leave the city. He was caught between Nūr al-Dīn's army outside and the Turkish soldiers in the citadel. Some old writings say Joscelyn made this choice without asking the people of Edessa. But then, his military leaders forced the citizens to leave during the night. This part of the story is sometimes questioned. It would make sense for the citizens to leave since they were helping Joscelyn. However, it is possible that only the Armenian Christians helped, while other Christian groups stayed out of it.

The Difficult Retreat and Aftermath

The retreat from Edessa was a disaster. As the Christians tried to leave through the city gates, they were caught and many were killed. Joscelyn and about twenty of his knights managed to escape to a place called the Water Tower. But they could not defend it. They secretly fled from there. The Christians who survived tried to reach the Euphrates river, which was about fourteen miles away. Baldwin was leading the group, and Joscelyn was at the back.

The next day, November 3, Joscelyn ordered a counterattack. Even though his rearguard was holding its own, he wanted to fight back against the pursuing forces. He led an attack from the west, and Baldwin attacked from the east. Both attacks failed. Baldwin was killed. Joscelyn was wounded in his side by an arrow. But he managed to escape to Samosata. There, he met with the Syriac bishop, Basil bar Shumna. By December, Nūr al-Dīn was fully in control of Edessa. He ordered the city walls to be torn down.

Many men in Edessa were killed. The women and children were taken captive. One historian, Michael the Syrian, estimated that 30,000 people died in both sieges of Edessa. He also said that 16,000 people were taken captive. He believed only about 1,000 men from Edessa escaped freely, and no women or children. By the end of 1146, the city was empty except for the bodies. The Armenian bishop John was captured and taken to Aleppo. This second siege was "far worse than the first." Edessa never became important again after this. It was also the "fatal blow" to the Christian County of Edessa.