Salvete Omnes,
As Syria is back in the news this year - the Syrian defense forces, augmented by former ISIS fighters and pro-Turkey militias, from the official Syrian goverment in Damascus are fighting the Kurds in Kobane and north-east Syria, while the Druze minority enjoys their Israeli protection in the south.
From time to time I check the website of the formidable researcher, historian and storyteller Dr Helena P. Schrader.
This month dr Schrader already posted two interesting articles on the crusades, dealing with the
Mongols and Mamluks: The Changing Face of the Middle East. - the XIII century conflict between these two great powers, leading to the Syrian wars between the rulers of Mamluks sultanate and the western Mongolian armies, whereas the Mamluk sultans went on to obliterate the remainder of the Crusader kingdom and knightly strongholds in the Holy Land - like Latakia, Crac de Chevaliers and Montfort. Cyprus is part of the Crusader myriad but the mainland is in trouble.
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| fall of Trpioli Ad 1289 |
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| Freer Gallery - a glass beaker Mamluk period |
The Loss of Latin Syria -
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| detail from a basin with Christian and Islamic symbols, Freer Gallery |
the story of internal rot of the Crusader statesmen and Italian trading states (Pisa; Venice was in conflict with Genoa), that led to development of multiple conflicting interests and infighting, in face of growing overwhelming powers of the Mamluk state. If finally leads to the tragic siege of Acre - the infamous execution of the Templar marshal by the Mamluk sultan Al-Ashraf Khalil in 1291. Followed by the evacuation of Tyre, capture of Sidon, loss of Beirut, and final evacuation of Tortosa and Athlit. End of Latin Syria.
The Mamluk sultanate carried a rather successful eradication of the Crusader material culture and high arts, as almost nothing have survived from the 200 years of Latin rule in Syria, but for some ruins and architectural elements.
The Latin Crusader kingdom survived in Cyprus, where port of Famagusta became the Frankish commerce center in the East... Cilician Armenia survived as a vassal of the Mamluk sultanate, and then was annexed by the Ottomans, when they conquered the Mamluks. The various Christians of the Holy Land had to return to their pre-Crusading Age status and situation within the Muslim world.
enjoy
Valete
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