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BATTLE OF HATTIN (HATTIN BATTLEFIELD)

December 8, 2015 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

Hittin, Israel (1187 AD)

The Battle of Hattin was one of the most important battles of the Middle Ages and the decisive turning point of the Crusades.  It was the greatest victory of the greatest Muslim military commander of all time, Saladin, and marked the beginning of the end of the Christian Crusader kingdoms.  It was particularly embarrassing defeat for the Christians, notably because they carried the True Cross before them into battle (which was subsequently lost).  The Battle of Hattin was immortalized in the film Kingdom of Heaven, which gave a particularly unflattering view of the Crusader army and their king.

History

In 1099, the armies of the First Crusade made an alliance with the Byzantine Empire and, taking advantage of a chaotic political situation in the Middle East, swept down upon the Holy Land and conquered Jerusalem.  For the next seven decades the Crusaders won a nearly unbroken string of victories, conquering more towns and cities and expanding the territory of the Kingdom of Jerusalem.

However, in the 1170s a mighty military political leader, Saladin, rose up to unite the Muslims and launch a massive, coordinated counter-offensive against the Christians.  He spent the better part of a decade fighting rival tribes and squashing civil war before he was able to turn his attention to the Crusaders.  At first fighting was sporadic, with on-again off-again truces with the Christian King Baldwin IV.  However, the death of Baldwin in 1185 led to the outbreak of full hostilities.

The war came to a head in 1187, when the armies of Saladin took the strategic city of Tiberias on the shore of the Sea of Galilee.  The new Crusader king, Guy de Lusignan, led an army out from Jerusalem to drive the Saracens back into Syria.  However, the taking of Tiberias was a trap, and the Crusaders fell for the bait.  Outmaneuvered by Saladin, the Crusaders arrived at the battlefield having had no access to water for days.

The battle went terribly for the Crusaders.  Outnumbered, they found themselves in bad shape from the outset.  The Muslims sent a force to cut off the Christian retreat, as well as their only route to water.  The Crusaders attempted to break out of the trap, to no avail, and the army was routed with very high casualties.  This left Jerusalem completely exposed, and the Holy City fell shortly thereafter.  Afterwards, the Crusaders never again regained the initiative, and lost all of their remaining possessions within a century.

Visiting

The Battle of Hattin was arguably the most important battle to take place in what is now Israel during the Crusader period.  Because it involved Christians fighting Muslims, the battlefield is not one of the more important battle sites to the current government.  It is therefore not well marked or commemorated.  However, the field is well preserved, with the hills known as the Horns of Hattin prominent local landmarks, and is very accessible to popular tourism areas.

The Hattin Battlefield is located just outside the modern-day city of Hittin, a few miles west of Tiberias, approximately eighty miles north of Jerusalem.  The field is an open site, and there is no cost of admission.  Web: www.goisrael.com (official tourism website of Israel).

Filed Under: Battlefield Tagged With: Israel

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About Howard Kramer

Howard Kramer is the creator and author of The Complete Pilgrim. He first took an interest in religious sites in his early twenties when traveling through Italy after college. In the two decades since he has traveled to more than two dozen countries and almost every state, visiting and photographing hundreds of the world’s greatest churches, synagogues and other places of religious interest. Howard has been writing about religious sites for the better part of the last decade, and The Complete Pilgrim is a culmination of years of his work and passion.

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Welcome to The Complete Pilgrim(TM)! This site, created by Howard Kramer, is a combination travel blog and online guide to the world's greatest sites of religious interest (with some historic and recreational places thrown in for good measure). All written content has been originally researched and produced and is provided free for public research and enjoyment. Thank you for visiting!

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Contact Us

Have a comment, a great photo or a religious site you'd like to nominate for the weekly spotlight? We would love to hear from you. Email us at hkramer@thecompletepilgrim.com.

About the Author

Howard Kramer is the creator and author of The Complete Pilgrim. He first took an interest in religious sites in his early twenties when traveling through Italy after college. In the two decades since he has traveled to more than two dozen countries and almost every state, visiting and photographing hundreds of the world’s greatest churches, synagogues and other places of religious interest. Howard has been writing about religious sites for the better part of the last decade, and The Complete Pilgrim is the culmination of years of his work and passion.

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