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What territories did the First Crusade capture before Jerusalem?
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Crusades
Crusaders departing for the Holy Land, chromolithograph of a 15th-century illuminated manuscript.
Before reaching Jerusalem in 1099, the forces of the First Crusade captured several key territories and cities:
- Nicaea: In June 1097, the Crusaders and Byzantine forces captured the capital of the Turkish sultanate, which subsequently surrendered to the Byzantines.12
- Edessa: During the march, Baldwin, brother of Godfrey of Bouillon, left the main army to involve himself in local politics and became the ruler of Edessa, establishing it as the first Crusader state.12
- Antioch: After a long and difficult siege, the Crusaders captured this major city in the Levant in June 1098. Following the victory, the city remained under Christian rule, and Bohemond of Taranto established himself as its prince.132
These conquests provided the Crusaders with essential supply lines and strategic buffers as they continued their campaign toward their ultimate objective, Jerusalem.13