Siege of Shaizar (1157)

The siege of Shaizar in late 1157 was part of the effort of the leaders of the crusader states to take advantage of the illness of the Syrian ruler Nur ad-Din Zengi and expand eastwards. King Baldwin III of Jerusalem, Prince Raynald of Antioch, and Counts Thierry of Flanders and Raymond III of Tripoli successfully seized the lower city, but a dispute over the future status of Shaizar erupted between them while they were attacking the citadel, and they withdrew because they could not settle it.

Background

In 1138, allied armies of the Byzantine Empire and crusader states attempted to capture Shaizar in a siege, but failed because of quarrels and intrigues amongst the crusaders. In July and August 1157, a series of severe earthquakes struck several cities in Muslim-held parts of Syria, inflicting heavy damage. The Munqidhite ruler of Shaizar (who had been friendly with the neighboring Christian rulers) and his whole household were killed, and political disarray ensued in Shaizar. Nur al-Din Zengi, the ruler of Aleppo and Damascus who had thus far been unable to exert direct rule over it, moved to occupy the city rather than allow it to fall into Christian hands.

Count Thierry of Flanders arrived in Syria with a substantial entourage in mid-1157, raising Christian hopes for renewed military action against the Muslims. Count Thierry, King Baldwin III of Jerusalem, Lord Reginald of Sidon, and Count Raymond III of Tripoli gathered a powerful army. Nur al-Din fell seriously ill in October and his army became disorganized. Seeing a chance to press their advantage, the Franks sent an urgent appeal to the lord of Armenian Cilicia, Toros II, and he arrived with reinforcements.