Siege of Jerusalem (1187)

Long ago, a leader named Saladin came to Jerusalem.

A man named Balian tried to protect the city. He made new soldiers to help. The city was full of people seeking safety.

There was a big fight at the walls. Saladin's army used machines to hit the walls. Balian and Saladin then talked about a deal.

They made a plan to be peaceful. Many people were able to leave safely. Saladin let many people visit holy sites too.

This was a very important time in history.

In 1187, a leader named Saladin led an army to Jerusalem.

Before this, Saladin had won many battles. The Kingdom of Jerusalem was weak from many fights. A man named Balian of Ibelin took charge of the city. The city was full of refugees. Balian had very few soldiers. He made sixty new knights from other men to help defend the walls.

Saladin's army arrived on September 20. They used machines to hit the city walls. Some walls even fell down.

Balian and Saladin talked to find a way to end the fight. Balian wanted his people to be safe. They made a deal. Many people paid money to leave the city safely. Saladin also freed many people who could not pay. He let some noblewomen leave for free too.

After the city was taken, Saladin was kind to many. He let different groups of Christians visit holy sites. He even let the Church of the Holy Sepulchre stay open. This helped people continue to visit the city.

In 1187, a major event changed the history of Jerusalem. A powerful leader named Saladin led an army to take the city. Before this, the Kingdom of Jerusalem was very weak from many fights. Saladin had already won a large battle at Hattin in July. He had also taken many other cities like Acre and Jaffa. Because of this, the city of Jerusalem was in a hard spot.

A man named Balian of Ibelin was asked to defend the city. Balian had a very difficult job to do. The city was full of refugees who were running from the war. There were fewer than fourteen knights left to fight. To help, Balian turned sixty other men into new knights. He also stored up food and money to prepare for a siege. A siege is when an army surrounds a city to force it to surrender.

Saladin's army arrived outside the walls on September 20. They used many tools to attack the city. They used arrows, crossbows, and large machines called catapults. These machines threw heavy objects at the walls. On September 29, a part of the wall collapsed after being hit. Even though the walls were broken, the fighting continued for several days. The people inside the city felt a lot of fear and despair.

Balian and Saladin eventually met to talk about a way to end the fight. Balian wanted to make sure his people could leave safely. They made a deal about how much money people had to pay. Men had to pay ten dinars to leave the city. Women paid five dinars, and children paid two dinars. Saladin also showed kindness by freeing many people who could not pay. He even let some noblewomen leave without paying any money at all.

After the city was taken on October 2, Saladin made many big decisions. He decided to let the Church of the Holy Sepulchre stay open. This meant that many Christians could still visit their holy sites. He also allowed different groups, like the Orthodox Christians, to worship freely. Some Muslim holy sites were cleaned with rose water to make them ready again. This time in history led to the Third Crusade, where new leaders arrived to try to change things again.

The Siege of Jerusalem in 1187 was a pivotal military event in the history of the Crusades. It marked the moment when the Muslim leader Saladin reclaimed the city from the Kingdom of Jerusalem. This event followed a period of great instability for the Christian kingdom. Earlier that summer, Saladin had achieved a massive victory at the Battle of Hattin on July 4. During that battle, most of the kingdom's nobility were captured, including King Guy. This defeat left many cities, such as Acre and Jaffa, under Saladin's control. The siege itself lasted from September 20 to October 2, 1187.

Balian of Ibelin was the man tasked with defending the city. He was a high-ranking lord who was seen by some as having a rank nearly equal to a king. Balian's situation was extremely difficult because the city was crowded with refugees. These people were fleeing from Saladin's previous conquests. The military strength of the city was very low. There were fewer than fourteen knights available to fight. To build a defense, Balian promoted sixty squires, who were knights in training, to the rank of knight. He also gathered burgesses to help and stored food and money to prepare for a long siege.

Saladin's army arrived outside the walls on September 20. They positioned themselves near the Tower of David and the Damascus Gate. The siege involved many different types of weapons and tactics. Archers used arrows to pelt the walls, and siege towers were rolled up to attack. Saladin's forces used catapults, mangonels, and petraries to pound the fortifications. They also used Greek fire and crossbows. On September 26, Saladin moved his camp to the Mount of Olives. This move was strategic because there was no major gate there for the defenders to counter-attack. On September 29, a portion of the wall collapsed after being mined.

Inside the city, the atmosphere was one of great despair. As the walls were breached, the defenders struggled to hold the line. There were only a few dozen knights and a small number of men-at-arms left to guard the broken wall. The clergy attempted to seek divine help through religious ceremonies. They organized a barefoot procession around the city walls. At Mount Calvary, women performed penances by immersing their children in cold water and cutting their hair. Despite these efforts, the defenders could not stop the advance of Saladin's forces. The lack of soldiers meant that even the promise of high fees could not bring more men to the walls.

Negotiations eventually began between Balian and Saladin to prevent further violence. Balian wanted to secure safe passage for the people of the city. Saladin initially demanded an unconditional surrender. Balian responded with a threat to destroy Muslim holy sites and kill the 5,000 Muslim slaves held by the Crusaders. This pressure led to a negotiated settlement regarding ransoms. The original plan required men to pay ten dinars, women five, and children two to leave. However, Balian noted that 20,000 people could not afford this. They eventually agreed that 7,000 people would be freed for a total of 30,000 dinars.

The city was peacefully surrendered on October 2, 1187. Saladin showed significant tolerance during the transition of power. He allowed many noblewomen, including Queen Sibylla and Queen Dowager Maria, to leave without paying a ransom. He also freed many prisoners of war, including nearly 3,000 Muslim captives held by the Crusaders. Some leaders even asked for the release of more slaves. For instance, Saladin's brother Al-Adil asked for 1,000 captives and released them all immediately. While many were freed, 15,000 people who could not pay the ransom were sold into slavery. This group included 7,000 men and 8,000 women and children.

After the conquest, Saladin made important decisions regarding the city's religious sites. He chose not to destroy the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, even though some advisers suggested it. He wanted to allow Christian pilgrimages to continue. He allowed Orthodox and Eastern Christian pilgrims to visit holy sites freely. However, Frankish or Catholic pilgrims were required to pay a fee. Saladin also purified Muslim holy sites, like the Al-Aqsa shrine, using rose water. He returned Coptic places of worship to Coptic priests. This period of change led to the Third Crusade, as leaders like Richard the Lionheart and Philip Augustus launched new expeditions to respond to the loss of Jerusalem.