15 juill. 1099 - Fall of Jerusalem

Description:

On July 15, 1099, following the siege of Jerusalem, crusaders entered the city through the Tower of David and commenced a massacre of its residents, targeting both Muslims and Jews. Eyewitnesses reported that the streets were awash with blood, though historical accounts vary with estimates of the death toll ranging widely.

Massacre and Its Aftermath:
The violence was brutal, with thousands of Muslims and Jews killed. Many Muslims sought refuge in the Al-Aqsa Mosque or the Dome of the Rock, only to be slaughtered. The Gesta Francorum, an eyewitness account, described scenes where crusaders waded in blood up to their ankles on the Temple Mount. The scale of killing led to piles of bodies likened to pyramids.

Despite the general massacre, some Muslims survived by negotiating their safety, like those who barricaded themselves in the Oratory of David or sought refuge with Count Raymond, eventually leaving for Ascalon. Tancred, a crusader leader, attempted to protect some Muslims in the Temple quarter, but could not prevent their deaths.

The crusaders also converted significant Muslim holy sites into Christian ones, renaming the Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa Mosque as Templum Domini and Templum Salomonis, respectively. These locations later gained further significance in the Christian crusader kingdom.

Jewish Community:
Jews in Jerusalem fought alongside Muslim defenders and retreated to their synagogue as the city fell. However, the crusaders burned the synagogue, killing many inside. Some accounts suggest that Jews were among those who managed to leave the city with the Fatimid governor.

Historical Documentation:
The massacre is documented in various contemporary sources including the Cairo Geniza documents, which provide insights from Jewish perspectives. These sources indicate that some Jews were held for ransom and later freed by their communities.

This dark chapter in the history of Jerusalem underscores the brutal nature of medieval warfare and the severe impact on the city's inhabitants, shaping the historical narrative of the Crusades and their aftermath.

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