Siege of Kerak (1183) 1183
Recorded location from Wikidata; battle sites are often approximate.
Key facts
| Year | 1183 | Wikidata P580 (start time) |
|---|---|---|
| Era | Medieval (500–1499) | derived from year |
| Location | Jordan | Natural Earth (modern borders) |
| Continent | Asia | Natural Earth |
| War / conflict | Crusader battles between 1149 and 1189 | Wikidata P361 |
| Participants | Ayyubid Sultanate, Kingdom of Jerusalem | Wikidata P710 |
| Coordinates | 31.1808, 35.7014 | Wikidata P625 |
About the battle
Kerak Castle, one of the most impregnable strongholds in the Kingdom of Jerusalem, underwent its first significant siege in late 1183. Saladin, ruler of Egypt and Damascus, besieged Kerak in early November 1183 after its lord, Raynald of Châtillon, conducted raids of Saladin's lands.
Saladin set out from Damascus on 22 October and besieged Kerak as it hosted the wedding of Raynald's stepson Humphrey IV of Toron and King Baldwin IV's half-sister Isabella. Raynald attempted to delay the siege by defending the walled settlement outside the fortress, but it fell quickly. Despite this success and intense bombardment, Saladin was unable to make progress, hindered by Kerak's deep moat and mountainous terrain. When ailing King Baldwin learned about the siege, he found himself obligated to settle his succession before mustering a relief force. After the coronation of his nephew, Baldwin V, he accompanied his army to Kerak but ceded command to his kinsman Count Raymond III of Tripoli. Saladin refused to engage the royal army and lifted the siege on 3 December.
Text adapted from the Wikipedia article Siege of Kerak (1183) (revision 1370742421), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: excerpted from the article lead section; formatting and citations removed. No text added.
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Other battles of the Crusader battles between 1149 and 1189
- Battle of Harim 1164
- Battle of Montgisard 1177
- Battle of Marj Ayyun 1179
- Siege of Jacob's Ford 1179
- Battle of Belvoir Castle 1182
- Battle of al-Fule 1183
- Battle of Cresson 1187
- Battle of Hattin 1187
- Siege of Jerusalem (1187) 1187
- Siege of Tyre (1187) 1187
All 15 battles of the Crusader battles between 1149 and 1189 →
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