n Israeli archaeologist says he’s pinpointed the precise location of one of the Third Crusade’s most famous clashes: the 1191 Battle of Arsuf, which pitted English king Richard the Lionheart’s Christian forces against Saladin’s Muslim army in what Richard Spencer of the Times deems a “great but ultimately pyrrhic victory.”
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Study Identifies Site Where Crusader King Richard the Lionheart Defeated Saladin
In September 1191, the English monarch’s forces secured victory over the sultan’s army at the Battle of Arsuf
Battle of Arsuf
Today, the figurative field of battle has become a literal one: Israel's Sharon Plain. (Rafael Lewis)
By Alex Fox
SMITHSONIANMAG.COM
AUGUST 6, 2020
1.7K378147
An Israeli archaeologist says he’s pinpointed the precise location of one of the Third Crusade’s most famous clashes: the 1191 Battle of Arsuf, which pitted English king Richard the Lionheart’s Christian forces against Saladin’s Muslim army in what Richard Spencer of the Times deems a “great but ultimately pyrrhic victory.”
Historians have long known that the September 7 battle took place in a coastal plain north of what is now Tel Aviv, near a medieval settlement known as Apollonia or Arsuf. Richard’s Crusaders had conquered the port of Acre and were marching south to Muslim-held Jaffa when they met Saladin’s men, inflicting heavy losses while sustaining few casualties of their own. The win allowed the Crusaders to take control of Jaffa but failed to deliver a fatal blow to the Muslim forces.
