Battle of Harim

Part of the Crusades

Date	12 August 1164
Location	Harem, Syria
Result	Zengid victory

Belligerents

Aleppo and Damascus
Mosul

County of Tripoli
Principality of Antioch
Byzantine Empire
Armenia

Commanders and leaders

Nur ad-Din Zangi
Qutb ad-Din Mawdud

Raymond III of Tripoli (POW)
Bohemund III of Antioch (POW)
Konstantinos Kalamanos (POW)
Thoros II of Armenia
Hugh VIII of Lusignan (POW)
Joscelin III of Edessa (POW)

Strength

<9,000

30,000

Casualties and losses

Unknown

10,000?
Kalamanos, Hugh, Raymond, Bohemund, Joscelin captured

The Battle of Harim (Harenc) was fought on 12 August 1164 near Artah between the forces of Nur ad-Din Zangi and a combined army from the County of Tripoli, the Principality of Antioch, the Byzantine Empire and Armenia. Nur ad-Din won a crushing victory, capturing most of the leaders of the opposing army.

In 1163 King Amalric I of Jerusalem led an invasion of Egypt, leaving the crusader states open to attack from the east. Nur ad-Din took advantage of this to invade Tripoli, but he was taken by surprise by a large combination of enemies at the Battle of al-Buqaia and was almost killed himself. He then moved north to Antioch, with assistance from his brother Qutb ad-Din in Mosul, his other vassals from Aleppo and Damascus, and the Ortoqids of the Jazira, and besieged the fortress of Harim (Harenc) in 1164. As William of Tyre says, "he stationed his engines around it in the customary manner and began to assault the place with a fury which permitted the inhabitants no rest."

Reginald of Saint Valery, lord of Harim, called for help, and Raymond III of Tripoli, Bohemund III of Antioch, and Joscelin III of Edessa arrived to relieve the siege. They were joined by Konstantinos Kalamanos, the Byzantine governor of Cilicia, and Thoros, and Mleh of Armenia, as well as Hugh VIII of Lusignan and Geoffrey Martel, brother of William IV of Angoulême, both of whom had recently arrived on pilgrimage.

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