Crusaders Capture Antioch After Prolonged Siege
In the closing years of the 11th century, European Christian forces embarked on the First Crusade to reclaim Jerusalem from Muslim control, navigating a grueling journey across Anatolia marked by disease, desertion, and fierce resistance. Antioch, a strategically vital fortified city in northern Syria with massive walls and a commanding citadel, had been under Seljuk Turkish rule since 1085. After arriving in October 1097, the Crusader army under leaders including Bohemond of Taranto endured an eight-month blockade plagued by starvation and failed relief attempts from Muslim emirs. On June 3, 1098, a betrayal by an Armenian guard allowed a small force to scale the walls at night, opening the gates for the main army to storm the city. The citadel...