feb 15, 1124 - Crusaders conquer Tyre

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On February 15, 1124, the Venetians and Franks, led by key figures like the Patriarch of Antioch and the Doge of Venice, initiated the siege of Tyre in Lebanon, a stronghold of Toghtekin, the atabeg of Damascus. The besiegers constructed siege towers and other machinery to bombard the city walls, while the defenders retaliated with their own engines. As the siege prolonged, Tyre's food supplies dwindled, prompting desperate pleas for aid. Although Toghtekin moved to relieve the city, he retreated after a confrontation with forces led by Count Pons of Tripoli and Constable William. In June 1124, negotiations began, resulting in a surrender agreement on June 29 that allowed inhabitants to leave with their possessions or stay with their properties intact. This leniency was contentious among some crusaders eager to plunder. Upon entering, the crusaders marveled at Tyre’s formidable defenses and the citizens' enduring resilience, finding the city nearly depleted of food, with only five measures of wheat left.

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