Battle of Ascalon 1099
Recorded location from Wikidata; battle sites are often approximate. Wikidata lists more than one location for this battle; the first is shown.
Key facts
| Year | 1099 | Wikidata P580 (start time) |
|---|---|---|
| Era | Medieval (500–1499) | derived from year |
| Location | Israel | Natural Earth (modern borders) |
| Continent | Asia | Natural Earth |
| War / conflict | First Crusade | Wikidata P361 |
| Coordinates | 31.6706, 34.5581 | Wikidata P625 |
About the battle
The Battle of Ascalon took place on 12 August 1099 shortly after the capture of Jerusalem. Often considered the last action of the First Crusade, the Crusader army led by Godfrey of Bouillon defeated and drove off a Fatimid army of Egypt.
The Crusaders completed their primary objective of capturing Jerusalem on 15 July 1099. In early August, they learned of the approach of a 20,000-strong Fatimid army under vizier al-Afdal Shahanshah. Under Godfrey's command the 10,200-strong Crusader army took the offensive, leaving Jerusalem on 10 August to protect the newly established Kingdom of Jerusalem. The Crusaders marched barefoot, carrying the relic of the True Cross with them, accompanied by patriarch Arnulf of Chocques. The army marched south from Jerusalem, approaching the vicinity of Ascalon on 11 August and capturing Egyptian spies who revealed al-Afdal's dispositions and strength. (The distance from Jerusalem to Ascalon is about 77 km (48 mi)).
At dawn on 12 August, the Crusader army launched a surprise attack on the Fatimid army still sleeping in its camp outside the defensive walls of Ascalon. The Egyptians had failed to post enough guards, leaving only a part of their army capable of fighting.
Text adapted from the Wikipedia article Battle of Ascalon (revision 1370432627), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: excerpted from the article lead section; shortened by selecting paragraphs and trimming at a sentence boundary; formatting and citations removed. No text added.
Nearby battles
- Siege of Ascalon 1153 · 1 km
- Siege of Ascalon (1247) 1247 · 1 km
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Other battles of the First Crusade
- Siege of Xerigordos 1096
- Battle of Dorylaeum (1097) 1097
- Siege of Antioch 1097
- Siege of Nicaea 1097
- Siege of Ma'arra 1098
- Siege of Jerusalem (1099) 1099
All 7 battles of the First Crusade →
Browse more: battles in Israel · Asia · Medieval battles