Armenian Kingdom of CiliciaToday part ofTurkeySyriaCyprusAlthough the kingdom was established in 1198, its foundations were laid in 1080 by Ruben I when the Rubenid principality of Cilicia was founded.The Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia, also known as Cilician Armenia, Lesser Armenia, Little Armenia or New Armenia, and formerly known as the Armenian Principality of Cilicia, was an Armenian state formed during the High Middle Ages by Armenian refugees fleeing the Seljuk invasion of Armenia.
Leo I, King of ArmeniaLeo I (Armenian: Լեւոն Ա Մեծագործ, romanized: Levon I. Metsagorts; 1150 – 2 May 1219) was the tenth lord of Armenian Cilicia, ruling from 1187 to 1219, and the first king to be crowned, in 1198/9 (sometimes known as Levon I the Magnificent). Leo eagerly led his kingdom alongside the armies of the Third Crusade and provided the crusaders with provisions, guides, pack animals and all manner of aid.
JerusalemCity in the Southern LevantMetropolis in Israel and Palestine, Israel
CiliciaGeographical region in TurkeyGeographical region in Adana, TurkeyCilicia ( ) is a geographical region of southern Anatolia in West Asia, extending inland from the northeastern coasts of the . Cilicia borders Pamphylia to the west, Lycaonia and Cappadocia to the north, Commagene to the north-east, Syria to the east and the Mediterranean Sea to the south. Cilicia has a population ranging over six million, concentrated mostly at the Cilician plain (Turkish: Çukurova).
DynastySequence of rulers considered members of the same familyFamily photograph of the Imperial House of Japan, the world's oldest continuous royal dynasty since at least the 6th century, with three generations (from left): Empress Michiko, Emperor Akihito, their son Emperor Naruhito and his consort Empress Masako, Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Akishino, and behind them their children (2021)A dynasty is a sequence of rulers from the same family, usually in the context of a monarchical system, but sometimes also appearing in republics.
ArmeniansEthnic group native to the Caucasus and the Armenian HighlandsEthnic groupArmenians (Armenian: հայեր, romanized: hayer, ) are an ethnic group indigenous to the Armenian highlands of West Asia. Armenians constitute the main demographic group in Armenia and constituted the main population of the breakaway Republic of Artsakh until their subsequent deportation after the 2023 Azerbaijani offensive.
Ruben IRuben I, (Armenian: Ռուբեն Ա; 1025–1095) was the first lord of Armenian Cilicia from 1080 until his death. The first movement of Armenian nobles immigrating to the Byzantine Empire began during the reign of Emperor Maurice, when Armenians voluntarily joined the Byzantine army. Mass Armenian immigration began when the Seljuks raided the Aras River, leaving the areas around Lake Van unprotected.
CrusadesReligious wars of the High Middle Ages14th-century miniature of the Battle of Dorylaeum (1147), a Second Crusade battle, from the Estoire d'EraclesThe Crusades were a series of military campaigns launched by the papacy between 1095 and 1291 against Muslim rulers for the recovery and defence of the Holy Land, as part of a wider crusading movement.
Armenian languageArmenian (endonym: հայերեն, hayeren, pronounced [hɑjɛˈɾɛn] ) is the sole member of an independent branch in the Indo-European language family. It is the native language of the Armenian people and the official language of Armenia. Historically spoken in the Armenian highlands, today Armenian is also widely spoken throughout the Armenian diaspora. Armenian is written in its own writing system, the Armenian alphabet, introduced in 405 AD by Mesrop Mashtots.
ChristianityAbrahamic monotheistic religion
HethumidsThe Hethumids (Armenian: Հեթումյաններ Hethumian) (also spelled Hetoumids or Het'umids), also known as the House of Lampron (after Lampron castle), were an Armenian dynasty and the rulers of the Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia from 1226 to 1341. Hethum I, the first of the Hethumids, came to power when he married Queen Isabella of Armenia who had inherited the throne from her father.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.