Siege of Antioch (First Crusade)

The Siege of Antioch during the First Crusade lasted seven and a half months, from October 1097 to June 1098, and was one of the longest and most brutal episodes of the crusading era. The city, defended by the Seljuk governor Yaghi-Siyan, withstood crusader investment through the winter despite famine and cold devastating both sides. The city finally fell through betrayal when an Armenian guard opened one of the towers to Bohemond's men. The crusaders massacred much of the Muslim and some of the Christian population. In an ironic reversal, the very next day a large relief army under Kerbogha of Mosul arrived too late to prevent the city's fall and then besieged the crusaders inside it. The crusaders, now themselves besieged and starving, sortied out and defeated Kerbogha's force, largely due to the reluctance of rival Muslim emirs to cooperate. The fall of Antioch was a significant blow that opened the road to Jerusalem.