The siege of Damietta of 1218–1219 was part of the

Fifth Crusade The Fifth Crusade (1217–1221) was a campaign in a series of Crusades by Western Europeans to reacquire Jerusalem and the rest of the Holy Land by first conquering Egypt, ruled by the powerful Ayyubid sultanate, led by al-Adil, brother of Sala ...

in which the Crusaders attacked the Egyptian port city of

Damietta Damietta ( arz, دمياط ' ; cop, ⲧⲁⲙⲓⲁϯ, Tamiati) is a port city and the capital of the Damietta Governorate in Egypt, a former bishopric and present multiple Catholic titular see. It is located at the Damietta branch, an easter ...

. The city, under the control of the

Ayyubid The Ayyubid dynasty ( ar, الأيوبيون '; ) was the founding dynasty of the medieval Sultan of Egypt, Sultanate of Egypt established by Saladin in 1171, following his abolition of the Fatimid Caliphate, Fatimid Caliphate of Egypt. A Sunni ...

sultan

al-Kamil Al-Kamil ( ar, الكامل) (full name: al-Malik al-Kamil Naser ad-Din Abu al-Ma'ali Muhammad) (c. 1177 – 6 March 1238) was a Muslim ruler and the fourth Ayyubid sultan of Egypt. During his tenure as sultan, the Ayyubids defeated the Fifth Cru ...

, was besieged in 1218 and taken by the Crusaders in 1219. At the beginning of the Fifth Crusade, it was agreed that a force would attempt to take Damietta, located at the mouth of the river

Nile The Nile, , Bohairic , lg, Kiira , Nobiin language, Nobiin: Áman Dawū is a major north-flowing river in northeastern Africa. It flows into the Mediterranean Sea. The Nile is the longest river in Africa and has historically been considered ...

. The Crusaders then planned to use this city as a launching point for the southern portion of a pincer attack upon Jerusalem from

Acre The acre is a unit of land area used in the imperial Imperial is that which relates to an empire, emperor, or imperialism. Imperial or The Imperial may also refer to: Places United States * Imperial, California * Imperial, Missouri * Imp ...

and

Suez Suez ( ar, السويس '; ) is a seaport city (population of about 750,000 ) in north-eastern Egypt, located on the north coast of the Gulf of Suez (a branch of the Red Sea), near the southern terminus of the Suez Canal, having the same boun ...

. Control over the area would also provide wealth to finance the continuation of the crusade, and reduce the threat from the Muslim fleet.Douglas Sterling, "Crusader Siege in the Nile Delta," ''Military History'' 22, no. 5 (August 2005).

Preparation

In March 1218, the Crusader ships of the Fifth Crusade set sail to the port of Acre. In late May, the forces assigned to besiege Damietta set sail. The first ships arrived on May 27, although the main leaders were delayed by storms and further preparations. The crusading force included groups of

Knights Templar , colors = White mantle with a red cross , colors_label = Attire , march = , mascot = Two knights riding a single horse , equipment ...

and

Knights Hospitaller The Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem ( la, Ordo Fratrum Hospitalis Sancti Ioannis Hierosolymitani), commonly known as the Knights Hospitaller (), was a medieval and early modern Catholic Church, Catholic Military ord ...

, fleets from Frisia and Italy, and troops amassed under numerous other military leaders.Oliver of Paderborn, ''The Capture of Damietta,'' Translated by John J. Gavigan, Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1948.

Siege

Arrival

Upon the arrival of the first Crusader ships to Damietta,

Simon III, Count of Saarbrücken Simon III of Sarrebrück, Simon III von Saarbrücken (Saarbrücken- Leiningen) (c. 1180–1243) was the Count of Saarbrücken (de) from 1207 until his death, about 1240. Background Simon III was the eldest son of Simon II (de) (d.1207), Coun ...

was chosen as a temporary leader until the arrival of the remaining ships. Under his command, the force established a landing site on May 29 "without any loss of blood." Later that day, the remaining ships arrived.

The tower of Damietta

The first objective of the Crusaders was to take the defensive river tower that protected the fortress of Damietta and anchored one end of a chain across the harbor. However, the approaches to the tower were limited by the large iron chain to the east, and the shallow depth of the river to the west.Douglas Sterling, "The Siege of Damietta: Seapower in the Fifth Crusade 1217-1221 A.D," in ''Crusaders, Condottieri, and Cannon: Medieval Warfare in Societies around the Mediterranean'', edited by Donald J. Kagay and L. J. Andrew Villalon, 101-29, Boston: Brill, 2003. Assaults upon the tower began on June 24, but they repeatedly failed. As a result, the Crusaders created a new type of naval siege weaponry, sometimes attributed to the chronicler Oliver of Paderborn; two ships were bound together, and four masts and sailyards were built, with a siege tower and ladder constructed on top. The structure was then covered with a layer of animal skins to protect from enemy attacks. On August 24, the engine was brought to the tower; the next day, the men in the tower surrendered. The use of this remarkable siege engine aided the Crusaders in taking the tower, and opening the way for the fleet to attack the fortress.

The city of Damietta

The city of Damietta was well fortified, with 3 walls, 28 towers, and a moat. Once the river tower was captured, the Crusader fleet attempted to support the land forces with an attack on the city from the river. However, Al-Kamil blocked the river with sunken ships, and the crusaders had to spend time clearing out an old canal so that their ships could surround the city. The siege was further slowed by the arrival of winter, storms, disease, and leadership disputes. In September,

Cardinal Pelagius Pelagio Galvani (c. 1165 – 30 January 1230, Portuguese: Latin: Pelagius) was a Kingdom of León, Leonese Cardinal (Catholicism), cardinal, and canon lawyer. He became a papal legate and leader of the Fifth Crusade. Born at Guimarães, his ea ...

, Bishop of Albano and Legate of the Apostolic See arrived at the Crusader camp and proceeded to challenge the command of

John of Brienne John of Brienne ( 1170 – 19–23 March 1237), also known as John I, was King of Jerusalem from 1210 to 1225 and Latin Emperor of Constantinople from 1229 to 1237. He was the youngest son of Erard II of Brienne, a wealthy nobleman in Champag ...

, King of Jerusalem, claiming that the Church held greater authority than a secular leader. To add to their difficulties, in late November 1218, a storm wrecked several of the Crusader ships and destroyed supplies. However, on February 25, 1219, the Crusaders received welcome news. The Sultan Al-Kamil had retreated, leaving the river bank near the city unoccupied by hostile forces. The Crusaders quickly advanced, occupying the city of

Tinnis Tennis or Tinnīs ( arz, تنيس, cop, ⲑⲉⲛⲛⲉⲥⲓ) was a medieval city in Egypt which no longer exists. It was most prosperous from the 9th century to the 11th century until its abandonment. It was located at 31°12′N 32°14′E, o ...

, and spent the spring and summer fighting the Muslim troops with varying success. On August 29, the Crusaders attempted a large-scale attack on the enemy camp, but they quickly became disorganized and the Sultan's counterattack was fairly successful. Soon after, a temporary truce was established, and peace terms were offered by the Sultan. The terms were highly favourable to the Crusaders; the Muslim leaders had agreed to surrender the city and kingdom of

Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...

, the Holy Cross, and all Christian captives in Egypt and Damascus, only withholding the fortresses of

Kerak Al-Karak ( ar, الكرك), is a city in Jordan known for its medieval castle, the Kerak Castle. The castle is one of the three largest castles in the region, the other two being in Syria. Al-Karak is the capital city of the Karak Governorate. ...

and

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...

. They even agreed to supply funds to repair Jerusalem's walls. King John advocated for accepting the peace terms, backed by the French and German troops. On the other hand, Cardinal Pelagius, backed by the Templars, Hospitallers, and Italians, opposed it. Eventually, the terms were denied, and the fighting continued. TennisEgypt1219

In early November 1219, the Crusaders found the city of Damietta nearly unguarded. Upon entering the walls, they found that the town had been devastated by disease and a lack of supplies. The exact numbers are unclear, but out of the 60,000–80,000 inhabitants prior to the beginning of the siege, less than 10,000 remained alive; some sources recount as few as 3,000 left.

Aftermath

The city of Damietta was held by Crusader forces for another two years after the completion of the siege. During that time, the mosque of Damietta was converted into a cathedral. On February 2, 1220, the

Feast of the Purification Candlemas (also spelled Candlemass), also known as the Feast of the Presentation of Jesus Christ, the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary, or the Feast of the Holy Encounter, is a Christian holiday commemorating the presentati ...

, Cardinal Pelagius consecrated the building as the Cathedral of the Holy Virgin.Megan Cassidy-Welch, "'O Damietta': War Memory and Crusade in Thirteenth-Century Egypt," ''Journal of Medieval History'' 40, no. 3 (June 2, 2014): 346-60. In July 1221, Damietta and the Fifth Crusade were lost. Crusader forces surrendered the city and evacuated Egypt.

List of crusaders present

Adolf VI, Count of Berg Count Adolf VI of Berg (born before 1176 – died 7 August 1218 at Damiette during the Hungarian crusade against Egypt) ruled the County of Berg from 1197 until 1218. Life He was the son of Engelbert I of Berg and Margaret of Geldern, and t ...

Alamanno da Costa Alamanno da Costa (active 1193–1224, died before 1229) was a Genoese admiral. He became the count of Syracuse in the Kingdom of Sicily, and led naval expeditions throughout the eastern Mediterranean. He was an important figure in Genoa's longst ...

* Aymar de Lairon *

Erard II of Chacenay Erard II (died 16 June 1236) was the Sire de Chacenay (Chassenay) from 1190/1. He was the eldest son of Erard I of Chacenay and Mathilde de Donzy. Life In 1209 Erard, with the consent of his unnamed wife, confirmed a donation to Basse-Fontaine ...

Gillis Berthout {{Infobox noble , name = Gillis Berthout , title = Chamberlain of FlandersLord of Leffinge, Lichtervelde, and Oudenburg (by marriage) , image = , caption = , CoA = Argent, three pales gule ...

Guérin de Montaigu Guérin de Montaigu (died 1228), also known as Garin de Montaigu or Pierre Guérin de Montaigu, was a nobleman from Auvergne, who became the fourteenth Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller, serving from 1207–1228. He succeeded the Grand Mast ...

Guido I Embriaco Guido I Embriaco or Guy I of Gibelet (born c. 1180; died after September 1238) was "Lord (Signore) of Gib(e)let" or "Gibelletto", the modern and historic Byblos in Lebanon.''Je m'appelle Byblos'', Jean-Pierre Thiollet, H & D, 2005. {{ISBN, 2-914266- ...

* William of Chartres *

Hugh IX of Lusignan Hugh IX "le Brun" of Lusignan (1163/1168 – 5 November 1219) was the grandson of Hugh VIII. His father, also Hugh (b. c. 1141), was the co-seigneur of Lusignan from 1164, marrying a woman named Orengarde before 1162 or about 1167 and dying i ...

Jacques de Vitry Jacques de Vitry (''Jacobus de Vitriaco'', c. 1160/70 – 1 May 1240) was a French canon regular who was a noted theologian and chronicler of his era. He was elected bishop of Acre in 1214 and made cardinal in 1229. His ''Historia Oriental ...

John de Lacy, Earl of Lincoln John de Lacy, 2nd Earl of Lincoln ( – 22 July 1240) was hereditary Constable of Chester, 7th Baron of Pontefract, 8th Baron of Halton and 8th Lord of Bowland. Origins He was the eldest son and heir of Roger de Lacy (1170–1211), hereditary C ...

* Milo IV du Puiset *

Peire de Montagut Peire de Montagut Known in Catalan as Pere de Montagut and in French as Pierre de Montaigu. (? – 28 January 1232) was Grand Master of the Knights Templar from 1218 to 1232. He took part in the Fifth Crusade and was against the Sultan of Egyp ...

* Ranulf de Blondeville, Earl of Chester *

Raoul of Mérencourt Raoul of Mérencourt (also called Ralph or Radulfus) was the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem from 1214 to 1224., succeeding the assassinated Albert Avogadro. Early career in patriarchal service Raoul was a native of the County of Champagne. He seems ...

* Renaud de Pons *

Robert of Courçon Robert of Courson or Courçon (also written de Curson, or Curzon, ''Princes of the Church'', p. 173.) ( 1160/1170 – 1219) was a scholar at the University of Paris and later a cardinal and papal legate. Life Robert of Courson was born in England ...

Robert Fitzwalter Robert FitzwalterAlso spelled Fitzwater, FitzWalter, fitzWalter, etc. (died 9 December 1235) was one of the leaders of the baronial opposition against John of England, King John, and one of the twenty-five sureties of ''Magna Carta''. He was Eng ...

* Saer de Quincy, Earl of Winchester *

Simone Doria Simon Doria ( it, Simone, oc, Symon; fl. 1250–1293) was a Genoese statesman and man of letters, of the important Doria family. As a troubadour he wrote six surviving ''tensos'', four with Lanfranc Cigala, one incomplete with Jacme Grils, an ...

Walter III of Caesarea Walter III (French: ''Gautier''), sometimes called Walter de Brisebarre or Walter Grenier (bef. 1180 – 24 June 1229), was the Constable of the Kingdom of Cyprus from 1206 and Lord of Caesarea in the Kingdom of Jerusalem from 1216. He was the eld ...

William III, Count of Jülich William was Count of Jülich from 1207 to 1219. He was a nephew of the previous Count, William II. He married Mathilde, daughter of Waleran III, Duke of Limburg. He died in 1219 during the Fifth Crusade in Egypt, and was succeeded by his son Willia ...

* Odarique de Michelet

References

Sources

* Cassidy-Welch, Megan. "'O Damietta': War Memory and Crusade in Thirteenth-Century Egypt." ''Journal of Medieval History'' 40, no. 3 (June 2, 2014): 346-60. Accessed April 26, 2018. doi:10.1080/03044181.2014.91783. * Madden, Thomas F. ''The New Concise History of the Crusades.'' Lanham, Md: Rowman & Littlefield, 2006. * Sterling, Douglas. "Crusader Siege in the Nile Delta." ''Military History'' 22, no. 5 (August 2005): 46-52 * Sterling, Douglas. "The Siege of Damietta: Seapower in the Fifth Crusade 1217-1221 A.D." In ''Crusaders, Condottieri, and Cannon: Medieval Warfare in Societies around the Mediterranean'', edited by Donald J. Kagay and L. J. Andrew Villalon, 101-29. Boston: Brill, 2003. * Oliver of Paderborn. ''The Capture of Damietta''. Translated by John J. Gavigan. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1948. {{DEFAULTSORT:Siege Of Damietta (1218) Damietta Damietta 1218 Damietta 1218

13th century in the Ayyubid Sultanate Damietta 1218