Siege of Damietta

Timeline

1. 1218Eastern bank of the Nile Delta · Nile DeltaThe crusader fleet sailed from Cyprus and elsewhere to the Egyptian coast, landing near the mouth of the Nile and establishing a camp. The expedition made Damietta its primary objective, intending to seize this port fortress controlling the Nile waterway and open a path into Egypt's interior.
2. 1218–1219Outside Damietta · DamiettaThe Crusaders bombarded the Chain Tower and other riverside fortifications opposite Damietta with mangonels, contesting the Nile waterway. The Ayyubid defenders under al-Kamil resisted stubbornly while the Crusaders gradually constructed siege camps and pontoon facilities.
3. 1219Damietta siege camp · DamiettaEntering its second year, the Crusaders, having taken the Chain Tower, pressed on toward Damietta itself. Al-Kamil proposed exchanging Jerusalem for a withdrawal, but the papal legate Pelagius refused. Reinforcements of both sides faced off across the river until the garrison finally collapsed at the end of 1219.