Battle of Tripoli (1109)
The storming of the Fatimid city of Tripoli took place on July 12, 1109 by the Crusaders under King Baldwin I of Jerusalem .
siege
Raymond of Toulouse began the siege as early as 1103 . He had the fortress of Mons Peregrinus built directly at the entrance to the peninsula. From the fortress, the crusaders could watch the Muslims closely. In the autumn of 1104 they undertook a sortie under the leadership of their governor Fachr al-Mulk and set the crusader castle on fire. Raimund died in February 1105 of the burns he sustained there. After a half-hearted peace treaty was signed, both parties waited for the best possible moment to attack. In March 1108, Fachr al-Mulk traveled to Baghdad to ask the Seljuk Sultan Muhammad I. Tapar for help. However, he was unsuccessful. When he returned in August, Tripoli was subordinate to the Fatimids . The Fatimid vizier al-Afdal had promised the residents a huge army for liberation.
Storm on the city
The Christians wanted to take advantage of this power vacuum. While Genoese ships blocked the port, the crusaders, now under Baldwin I , who came to the aid of Raimund's successor Bertrand of Toulouse , formed the attack. They started attacking the city. After the surrender of the new governor Sharaf ad-Daula, Baldwin assured the residents of free retreat, but the Genoese did not stick to it , as in Acre , and plundered the city.
consequences
The county of Tripoli was founded as the last crusader state in the Levant, but it should also remain the smallest. The Count of Tripoli submitted to the King of Jerusalem as a vassal.
literature
- Johannes Ebert (project leader): The Chronicle of the Crusades. Chronik-Verlag, Gütersloh et al. 2005, ISBN 3-577-14609-5 .