Recovery of Antioch from the Crusaders in 491 AH 1268 AD
The Islamic Conquest of Antioch
Antioch is one of the cities of Levant that was covered by the Islamic conquest during the reign of Caliph Umar ibn al-Khattab, may God be pleased with him. This city remained in the hands of the Muslims until the Crusades began against the lands of Islam in the year 491 AH.
Crusaders' Occupation of Antioch
Antioch was one of the first cities that the Crusaders were keen to occupy, due to its position controlling the roads located in the northern regions of the Levant. After its occupation, Antioch became the Crusaders' impregnable fortress in the north of the Levant, and it remained under their rule for nearly 170 years.
Baybars' Campaign to Recover Islamic Cities
When al-Zahir Baybars assumed power in 658 AH, he decided to recover the Islamic countries from the hands of the Crusaders. Baybars expelled the Tatars from the Levant, and began to conquer other cities one after the other. He conquered Caesarea, Arsuf, and Safed, then took Karak and Jaffa, and bombarded the castle of Acre.
The Siege and Conquest of Antioch
Baybars paved the way for the conquest of Antioch by isolating it from neighboring cities and cutting off all supplies. He divided his army into three teams: one headed to the Swedish port to sever the connection between Antioch and the sea, another headed north to block the passages between Qalqilya and the Levant to prevent supplies from Lesser Armenia, and the main division, led by Baybars, headed directly to Antioch.
Baybars laid a tight siege around Antioch and was able to enter the city on Ramadan 4, 666 AH / September 24, 1268 AD. The fall of Antioch is considered the greatest conquest the Muslims achieved against the Crusaders after the Battle of Hattin.
The Death of the Ottoman Caliph Abdul Hamid II
Early Life and Ascension
Sultan Abdul Hamid II, the son of Sultan Abdul Majeed I, the Ottoman, was born in the year 1258 AH. He assumed the caliphate in the year 1293 AH / 1876 AD, taking over the state while it was burdened with internal and external problems.
Internal and External Challenges
At home, he faced the confrontation of secular and Freemasonry movements. Abroad, Russian threats appeared strongly in the form of two successive wars. He also had to confront the British occupation of Egypt, Sudan, and Cyprus, and the French occupation of Algeria and Tunisia. Additionally, he dealt with fierce revolutions in the Balkans, especially in Bulgaria, Serbia, and Montenegro, with open and blatant incitement from the Russians.
Achievements and Reforms
Sultan Abdul Hamid II ruled for more than thirty years, during which he faced countless enemies at home and abroad. He saved the state from collapse after the war with Russia, suppressed the Cretan rebellion, defeated Greece, trained the army on modern fighting methods, opened various schools and universities, expanded urbanization, and established the Hijaz railway from Damascus to Medina, which was 1327 km long.
Confronting Jewish Attempts to Buy Palestine
One of the most important works of Sultan Abdul Hamid, in addition to establishing the Islamic University to confront Westernization, secularism, and Freemasonry movements, was his courageous response to the desperate attempts of the Jews to buy Palestine. This led to his eventual removal from office in 1327 AH / 1909 AD, orchestrated by the Dönmeh Jews in cooperation with international Zionism and the National Union and Progress Movement.
Exile and Death
Sultan Abdul Hamid II died in exile in Paris at the age of 76. He spent 20 years in exile after the abolition of the caliphate and his expulsion from Turkey in March 1923. He was buried in Medina in the land of the Two Holy Mosques.
