1167:, Baldwin II led an army of Franks to attack Damascus in early 1126. Baldwin's army consisted of the usual mounted knights and men-at-arms supported by spearmen and bowmen on foot. At Marj al-Saffar, 30 kilometers outside Damascus, the Crusaders encountered the army of Damascus which offered battle. Toghtekin, founder of the
1183:
Another historian writes, "Crusader forces had a clear win but were unable to press home their advantage." A third writer notes that the
Crusader victory occurred because Toghtekin "fell from his horse and, thinking that he had been killed, his companions fled." Because of their heavy casualties, the
1179:
Only a few details are known about the battle. The sources are not in agreement about tactical details, but they concur that the
Crusaders failed to seize Damascus. The Franks lost many men to Turkish archery in a very close-fought engagement. "But a strong attack made late in the day gave them a
190:
470:
398:
1380:
183:
1410:
176:
1385:
1405:
1395:
391:
20:
1180:
hard-won victory. Their tactical success left them unable to achieve their object in undertaking the campaign, which was the conquest of
Damascus."
200:
1321:
384:
1200:
and elsewhere were involved in the defense of
Damascus. This contributed to the establishment of the alliance between the Nizari leader
972:
1363:
1335:
1238:
19:
This article is about the battle between the
Kingdom of Jerusalem and the Seljuks. For other battles fought in Marj al-Saffar, see
671:
622:
828:
1349:
943:
887:
803:
243:
892:
360:
1080:
723:
612:
1390:
768:
676:
445:
340:
233:
1036:
1031:
1002:
982:
977:
838:
475:
1026:
897:
853:
808:
758:
696:
681:
577:
460:
365:
345:
310:
248:
1090:
793:
1136:
1085:
1070:
1012:
868:
848:
130:
1105:
948:
919:
907:
858:
691:
657:
652:
647:
637:
597:
552:
542:
522:
517:
455:
355:
325:
1151:. The Crusaders defeated the Muslim army in the field but failed in their objective to capture Damascus.
1400:
1160:
1095:
1065:
997:
873:
798:
778:
686:
602:
567:
350:
330:
300:
135:
1298:
The
Damascus Chronicle of the Crusades. Extracted and translated from the Chronicle of ibn al-QalÄnisi
1193:
1110:
1060:
962:
843:
788:
773:
532:
492:
117:
107:
1140:
967:
863:
748:
733:
632:
627:
617:
465:
430:
268:
253:
218:
753:
502:
497:
273:
258:
1359:
1345:
1331:
1317:
1234:
1228:
1201:
823:
813:
728:
562:
480:
435:
376:
295:
223:
1055:
1043:
1007:
833:
783:
743:
718:
713:
642:
592:
587:
572:
537:
527:
450:
320:
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285:
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238:
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1100:
1019:
902:
738:
547:
512:
507:
440:
290:
263:
228:
1075:
931:
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818:
708:
664:
557:
70:
58:
1374:
1050:
989:
955:
938:
880:
763:
582:
424:
315:
66:
1211:, the Franks attacked Damascus again, but their siege of the city was unsuccessful.
1115:
168:
1148:
1144:
1132:
408:
62:
35:
1164:
412:
112:
1168:
1197:
380:
172:
1328:
Western
Warfare in the Age of the Crusades, 1000-1300
1285:
Western
Warfare in the Age of the Crusades, 1000-1300
1230:
The
Templars and the Assassins: The Militia of Heaven
1204:, who was the Chief Da'i of Syria, and the Burids.
1358:New York: Barnes & Noble Books, (1956) 1995.
28:
1330:. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1999.
1252:
1250:
392:
184:
8:
1300:, Luzac & Company, London, pp. 174-177
1381:Battles involving the Kingdom of Jerusalem
399:
385:
377:
191:
177:
169:
25:
1131:was fought on January 25, 1126 between a
1044:End of the Crusader states in the Levant
1411:Wars involving the Nizari Ismaili state
1219:
1171:dynasty, ruled Damascus at that time.
7:
1386:Battles involving the Seljuk Empire
1342:The Crusades: Islamic Perspectives.
1233:. Simon and Schuster. p. 117.
1184:Crusaders were forced to retreat.
91:Formation of Nizari-Burid alliance
14:
1406:1120s in the Kingdom of Jerusalem
1396:12th century in the Seljuk Empire
29:Battle of Marj al-Saffar (1126)
1296:Gibb, N. A. R., Editor (1932)
1:
1356:Crusading Warfare 1097-1193.
1427:
703:Period post-Second Crusade
18:
1227:Wasserman, James (2001).
914:Period post-Third Crusade
487:Period post-First Crusade
421:
214:
154:
141:
124:
101:
41:
33:
1129:Battle of Marj al-Saffar
21:Battle of Marj al-Saffar
1137:Baldwin II of Jerusalem
131:Baldwin II of Jerusalem
125:Commanders and leaders
1147:, which was ruled by
1091:Lord Edward's Crusade
155:Casualties and losses
136:Toghtekin of Damascus
1314:Damascus: A History.
108:Kingdom of Jerusalem
1081:Krak des Chevaliers
202:SeljukāCrusader War
1340:Hillenbrand, Car.
1274:Hillenbrand, p 515
1159:After winning the
949:3rd Constantinople
944:2nd Constantinople
849:2nd Belvoir Castle
809:1st Belvoir Castle
672:1st Constantinople
1391:Conflicts in 1126
1344:Routledge, 1999.
1322:978-0-415-27105-9
1316:Routledge, 2005.
1135:army led by King
1124:
1123:
411:: battles in the
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96:
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49:January 26, 1126
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1194:Nizari Ismailis
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1120:
1020:Seventh Crusade
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264:Crusade of 1101
244:Lake of Antioch
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118:Nizari Ismailis
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1326:France, John.
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1283:France, John.
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1246:
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1216:
1213:
1202:Bahram al-Da'i
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1173:
1161:Battle of Azaz
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1121:
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1076:Eighth Crusade
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932:Fourth Crusade
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687:Meander Valley
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665:Second Crusade
661:
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608:Marj al-Saffar
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588:Jaffa and Tyre
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578:Ager Sanguinis
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311:Ager Sanguinis
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59:Marj al-Saffar
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16:Battle in 1126
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1364:1-56619-769-4
1361:
1357:
1354:Smail, R. C.
1353:
1351:
1347:
1343:
1339:
1337:
1336:0-8014-3671-0
1333:
1329:
1325:
1323:
1319:
1315:
1312:Burns, Ross.
1311:
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1240:9781594778735
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1163:northeast of
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1009:
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1003:3rd Jerusalem
1001:
999:
996:
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993:
992:and aftermath
991:
990:Sixth Crusade
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956:Fifth Crusade
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881:Third Crusade
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839:2nd Jerusalem
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683:
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678:
677:2nd Dorylaeum
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476:1st Jerusalem
474:
472:
469:
467:
464:
462:
459:
457:
454:
452:
449:
447:
446:1st Dorylaeum
444:
442:
439:
437:
434:
432:
429:
428:
427:
426:
425:First Crusade
420:
414:
410:
402:
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388:
383:
382:
379:
367:
364:
362:
359:
357:
354:
352:
349:
347:
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342:
341:2nd Dorylaeum
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234:1st Dorylaeum
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204:
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114:
111:
109:
106:
105:
100:
90:
89:
85:Burid victory
84:
83:
81:
78:
77:
72:
68:
67:Seljuq Empire
64:
60:
56:
53:
52:
48:
45:
44:
40:
37:
32:
27:
22:
1401:1126 in Asia
1368:
1355:
1341:
1327:
1313:
1297:
1292:
1284:
1279:
1270:
1265:Smail, p 182
1261:
1256:Burns, p 150
1229:
1222:
1206:
1191:
1182:
1178:
1158:
1128:
1126:
1042:
1041:
1037:2nd Fariskur
1032:2nd Mansurah
1027:3rd Damietta
1018:
1017:
988:
987:
983:1st Mansurah
978:1st Fariskur
973:2nd Damietta
954:
953:
930:
929:
913:
912:
879:
878:
794:Jacob's Ford
759:1st Damietta
702:
701:
692:Mount Cadmus
663:
662:
607:
513:2nd Heraclea
508:1st Heraclea
486:
485:
423:
356:Mount Cadmus
335:
102:Belligerents
34:Part of the
1143:Emirate of
1106:3rd Tripoli
1086:2nd Tripoli
1071:2nd Antioch
1013:3rd Ascalon
963:Mount Tabor
893:Philomelion
754:2nd Bilbeis
744:1st Bilbeis
719:2nd Ascalon
653:Edessa 1146
648:Edessa 1144
643:2nd Shaizar
568:Al-Sannabra
563:1st Shaizar
528:1st Tripoli
481:1st Ascalon
461:2nd Antioch
451:1st Antioch
415:(1096ā1303)
361:Philomelion
301:Al-Sannabra
249:2nd Antioch
239:1st Antioch
207:(1096ā1190)
115:of Damascus
1375:Categories
1350:1579582109
1307:References
1155:Background
864:Al-Shughur
789:Marj Ayyun
774:Montgisard
769:Alexandria
724:Lake Huleh
638:2nd Aleppo
613:al-Atharib
598:1st Aleppo
431:Xerigordos
219:Xerigordos
1188:Aftermath
1149:Toghtekin
1051:2nd Arsuf
968:Machghara
920:2nd Jaffa
908:1st Jaffa
903:1st Arsuf
829:2nd Kerak
819:1st Kerak
749:al-Babein
734:al-Buqaia
628:Qinnasrin
618:Rafaniyya
543:3rd Ramla
523:2nd Ramla
518:1st Ramla
1145:Damascus
1139:and the
1133:Crusader
1111:4th Acre
1056:Caesarea
888:3rd Acre
854:Laodicea
844:3rd Tyre
799:2nd Acre
697:Damascus
533:1st Acre
503:Mersivan
498:Melitene
456:Samosata
409:Crusades
274:Mersivan
269:Heraclea
259:Melitene
254:Ma'arrat
142:Strength
120:of Syria
63:Damascus
54:Location
36:Crusades
1287:. p 220
1165:Antioch
898:Iconium
869:Bourzey
824:Cresson
814:Al-Fule
804:Red Sea
729:Butaiha
682:Ephesus
623:Antioch
466:Ma'arra
436:Civetot
366:Iconium
346:Ephesus
296:Shaizar
281:Tripoli
224:Civetot
163:Unknown
150:Unknown
147:Unknown
61:, near
1362:
1348:
1334:
1320:
1237:
1175:Battle
1141:Seljuk
1101:Margat
1008:Forbie
859:Sahyun
834:Hattin
784:Banias
714:Aintab
633:Ba'rin
593:Yibneh
573:Sarmin
553:Beirut
538:Harran
441:Nicaea
413:Levant
326:Aleppo
306:Sarmin
286:Harran
229:Nicaea
113:Burids
79:Result
1215:Notes
1196:from
1192:Some
1169:Burid
1066:Safed
1061:Haifa
925:Toron
874:Safed
739:Harim
658:Bosra
558:Sidon
548:Artah
493:Arsuf
291:Artah
160:Heavy
71:Syria
1360:ISBN
1346:ISBN
1332:ISBN
1318:ISBN
1235:ISBN
1209:1129
1198:Homs
1127:The
1116:Ruad
1096:Homs
998:Gaza
939:Zara
779:Hama
764:Ayla
709:Inab
603:Azaz
471:Arqa
331:Azaz
321:Tyre
46:Date
1207:In
583:Hab
316:Hab
1377::
1249:^
65:,
1243:.
400:e
393:t
386:v
192:e
185:t
178:v
73:)
69:(
23:.
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