Lord of Beirut

Second kingdom

In the 13th century the lord of Beirut held numerous properties in the royal domain, especially in the vicinity of Acre. The most prominent vassals of the lord of Beirut were the Mimars family. Emperor Frederick II, as king of Jerusalem, tried to take Beirut back in the royal domain in 1228. King Hugh I granted substantial property to the lord of Beirut, Balian of Ibelin, noting that this was in expansion of the lordship. In 1256, the lord of Beirut, John of Ibelin, leased most of his estate to the Teutonic Knights in order to alleviate his financial hardships. The Franks permanently lost Beirut, as well as all the remaining land of the kingdom, to the Muslim ruler of Egypt, Al-Ashraf Khalil, in 1291.