Battle of Arsuf
Near Arsuf (present-day Israel)
What happened
King Richard I of England led the Crusader army, with Garnier de Nablus commanding the Knights Hospitaller, against the Ayyubid army of Saladin. During the Third Crusade, Richard marched his army south along the coast from Acre toward the port of Jaffa. He kept his soldiers close together and marched in the cool mornings near the sea, while Saladin's horse archers attacked the column. Near Arsuf the Hospitaller knights charged before the signal, Richard sent in his whole army, and Saladin's army was driven off.
Why it matters
Why it matters: Richard secured the central coast and the port of Jaffa. Saladin gave up several fortresses in the south, and his reputation suffered.
What came next
In 1192 Richard and Saladin signed the Treaty of Jaffa, a three-year truce that left Jerusalem under Muslim rule but let Christian pilgrims visit it. Richard sailed from Acre in October 1192.
Did you know?
A survey near Arsuf in 2013-2014 found arrowheads, including a flat, disc-shaped kind thought to have been made for bringing down horses.
Timeline
- 1191Richard's army marches south along the coast from Acre.
- 7 September 1191Richard defeats Saladin's army near Arsuf.
- 1-2 September 1192Richard and Saladin agree the Treaty of Jaffa.
- 9 October 1192Richard leaves Acre for home.