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Crusader Capture of Damietta

Type Event Region Africa Time 1249

From June to November 1249 the Seventh Crusade besieged Damietta, gateway to the Nile Delta;…

Timeline

  1. 1249Damietta · Nile DeltaAfter landing the Crusaders quickly encircled Damietta, and the two sides faced off for a long time around the walls and the Nile channels. Ayyubid sultan al-Salih Ayyub was gravely ill, the garrison's morale suffered, and reinforcements failed to relieve the siege in time.
  2. 1249City of Damietta · Nile DeltaUnder the prolonged siege and news of the sultan's death, the garrison withdrew from Damietta and the Crusaders entered the city without major resistance. The victory gave the coalition control of the Nile's mouth, but the siege had dragged on with heavy losses to supplies and disease.

Sources