Siege of Jerusalem (1099) facts for kids

The Siege of Jerusalem in 1099 was a major event at the end of the First Crusade. The main goal of this crusade was to take back the city of Jerusalem and the important Church of the Holy Sepulchre. These places had been under Islamic control for a long time.

The siege lasted for five weeks, from June 7 to July 15, 1099. It was carried out by Christian armies from Western Europe. These armies were brought together by Pope Urban II after a meeting in 1095. Jerusalem had been out of Christian hands since 637. Before the siege, it was controlled by the Egyptian Fatimids.

After Jerusalem was captured on July 15, 1099, many Muslims and Jews living there were killed by the Crusader soldiers. The Crusaders took control of the Temple Mount, which was a holy site for Jews. They also took over Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock, turning them into Christian shrines. Godfrey of Bouillon, a key Crusader leader, became the first ruler of Jerusalem.

Why the Siege Happened

The Call for a Crusade

In 1095, Pope Urban II heard from the Byzantine Emperor Alexios I Komnenos. The emperor asked for help to free parts of his empire from the Seljuk Turks. These Turks had taken over many areas, including Jerusalem in 1073. This made it harder for Christians to visit holy sites there.

Pope Urban II then gave a powerful speech in November 1095. He called for a "holy war" to take back the Holy Land and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. He promised that anyone who joined would go to heaven. This call started the Crusades.

The Crusaders' Journey

After a successful attack on Antioch in June 1098, the Crusaders stayed there for a while. Their leaders argued about what to do next. Many of the regular soldiers wanted to march to Jerusalem right away.

Finally, on January 13, 1099, some leaders, including Raymond of Toulouse, began marching south. They went down the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. On their way, they tried to capture a fortress called Arqa but failed. The Fatimids, who controlled Jerusalem, tried to make peace. They offered to let the Crusaders go if they did not attack Jerusalem. The Crusaders refused this offer.

The Fatimid governor of Jerusalem, Iftikhar al-Dawla, knew the Crusaders were coming. He made the city ready for a fight. He even sent away the Christian people living in Jerusalem. He feared they might help the Crusaders. He also poisoned water wells and cut down trees outside the city. This was to make things harder for the Crusaders.

The Attack on Jerusalem

Preparing for Battle

On June 7, 1099, the Crusaders reached Jerusalem. The city had strong defenses. It had a wall four kilometers long, three meters thick, and fifteen meters high. There were five main gates, each with two towers. The Crusaders split into two main groups. Godfrey of Bouillon and his allies attacked from the north. Raymond of Toulouse and his forces attacked from the south.

A 13th-century drawing showing the siege of Jerusalem.

The Crusaders faced many problems. They had no wood to build siege machines because the trees had been cut down. They also suffered from a lack of water, the hot summer heat, and not enough food.

Building Siege Machines

On June 17, 1099, good news arrived. English and Genoese ships reached the port of Jaffa. These ships brought all the materials needed to build siege equipment. Leaders like Robert of Normandy and Robert of Flanders gathered timber from nearby forests.

Under the command of Guglielmo Embriaco and Gaston of Béarn, the Crusaders quickly built their war machines. In about three weeks, they made two huge siege towers on wheels, a battering ram with an iron head, and many ladders. The Fatimids inside the city watched these preparations. They set up their own mangonels (catapults) on the walls.

The Final Push

On July 14, 1099, the Crusaders launched their main attack. Godfrey and his group focused on the northern wall. They managed to break through the first line of defense by the end of the day. In the south, Raymond's forces met strong resistance from the Fatimids.

On July 15, the attack continued on the northern front. Godfrey's forces succeeded. A Crusader named Ludolf of Tournai was the first to climb the wall. The Crusaders quickly gained control of the wall. The city's defenses fell apart, and the Fatimids became very scared.

In the southwest, the Provencal Crusaders also managed to break through the city walls. This gate was later called the Beaucaire Gate.

After the Siege

Crusaders Enter the City

On July 15, 1099, the Crusaders entered Jerusalem. They came through the Tower of David. They then began to kill many of the people living in the city, both Muslims and Jews. The Fatimid governor, Iftikhar Ad-Daulah, managed to escape.

Historical accounts from that time describe the streets of Jerusalem filled with blood. It is hard to know exactly how many people were killed. Some sources say a very high number, but historians believe it was likely fewer, perhaps around 40,000. This was a common, though terrible, outcome when cities were captured by force in ancient and medieval times.

Many Muslims tried to find safety in the al-Aqsa Mosque or the Dome of the Rock. These are both on the Temple Mount. Accounts say that many were killed there. Some Muslims and Jews were spared and allowed to leave Jerusalem. For example, some who took shelter in the Tower of David were allowed to leave safely.

Jewish people had fought alongside Muslim soldiers to defend the city. When the Crusaders broke through, many Jews went to their synagogue. Some accounts say the Crusaders burned the synagogue with people inside. Other letters from that time confirm the synagogue was destroyed.

Founding the Kingdom of Jerusalem

On July 17, a meeting was held to decide who would rule Jerusalem. On July 22, Godfrey of Bouillon was chosen. He was called the "Advocate of the Holy Sepulchre." He refused the title of king. He said he would not wear a gold crown in the city where Jesus wore a crown of thorns.

On August 12, Godfrey led his army against a Fatimid army at the Battle of Ascalon in 1099. The Crusaders won this battle. After this victory, most Crusaders felt they had completed their religious duties and went home. However, their victory helped create the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem.

The Siege of Jerusalem quickly became a famous story. It was written about in songs and poems.

Conclusion

The First Crusaders succeeded in taking Jerusalem. Urban II had started this "holy war." Many other crusades happened later for different reasons. Jerusalem stayed in Christian hands for almost a century. Then, in 1187, the Crusaders were defeated by Saladin at the Battle of Hattin. Three months later, Jerusalem was lost again. The capture of Jerusalem in the First Crusade has had a lasting impact on the relationships between different religions in the region.

Sources

• Conor Kostick, The Siege of Jerusalem, London, 2009.
• Rodney Stark, God's Battalions: The Case for the Crusades, New York, 2009.
• Hans E. Mayer, The Crusades, Oxford, 1965.
• Jonathan Riley-Smith, The First Crusade and the Idea of Crusading, Philadelphia, 1999.
• Frederic Duncalf, Parallel source problems in medieval history, New York, London : Harper & Brothers, 1912. via Internet Archive. See Chapter III for background, sources and problems related to the siege of Jerusalem.

• Sir Archibald Alison, Essays, Political, Historical, and Miscellaneous – vol. II, London, 1850.
• The Siege and Capture of Jerusalem: Collected Accounts Primary sources from the Internet Medieval Sourcebook.
• Climax of the First Crusade Detailed examanination by J. Arthur McFall originally appeared in Military History magazine.

• S.J. Allen, An Introduction to The Crusades, University of Toronto Press, 2017