Siege of Medina

Part of Arab Revolt of the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I

Date	10 June 1916 – 10 January 1919
Location	Madinah Al Munawarrah, Hejaz Vilayet
Result	British and Arab victory.

Belligerents

Kingdom of Hejaz

British Empire

Ottoman Empire

Commanders and leaders

Strength

30,000 (1916)
50,000 (1918)

3,000 (1916)
11,000 (1918)

Casualties and losses

Heavy

8,000 evacuated to Egypt

Kingdom of Hejaz

Medina, an Islamic holy city in Arabia, underwent a long siege during World War I. Medina was at the time part of the Ottoman Empire. In the war, the Ottoman Empire sided with the Central Powers. Sharif Hussain of Mecca revolted against the caliph and the Ottoman Empire which, under the leadership of the nationalistic Young Turks, had ignored the wishes of the Caliph and sided with the Central Powers. Hussain instead sided with the British Empire. T. E. Lawrence was instrumental in this revolt. Hussain occupied Mecca and besieged Medina. It was one of the longest sieges in history that lasted till even after the end of war. Fahreddin Pasha was the defender of Medina. He was called "the Lion of the Desert" by the British press for his patriotism in Medina. The siege lasted two years and seven months.

In June 1916 Sharif Hussain, the Hashemite ruler of Mecca revolted against the Ottoman Empire which, under the rule of the Young Turks, had by that time begun movement towards ethnic nationalism and was marginalizing the office of the Caliph. Hussain wanted to move north and create an Arab state from Yemen to Damascus and establish a Hashemite Caliphate.Medina was, at the time, deemed important in that regard and was connected to the Ottoman Empire through a railway line. Hussain's forces besieged Medina, beginning in 1916 and lasting till January 1919.

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