| Siege of Nicaea | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of theByzantine–Ottoman wars | |||||||
The Lefke Gate in Iznik, along the western ramparts of the city | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Unknown | |||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| Unknown | Unknown | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| Unknown | Unknown | ||||||
TheSiege of Nicaea, orSiege of Iznik (Ottoman Turkish:فتحِ ازنيق,romanized: Feth-i İznik), by the forces ofOrhan I from 1328 to 1331, resulted in the conquest of the keyByzantine city of Nicaea (nowadaysİznik) theOttomans. It played an important role in the expansion of the Ottoman Empire.
Following thereconquest of Constantinople from theLatins, the Byzantines concentrated their efforts on restoring their hold onGreece. Troops had to be taken from the eastern front inAnatolia and into thePeloponnese, with the disastrous consequence that what land theNicaean Empire held in Anatolia was now open to Ottoman raids. With the increasing frequency and ferocity of raids, Byzantine imperial authorities pulled back from Anatolia.
By 1326, lands aroundNicaea had fallen into the hands of Osman I. He had also captured the city ofBursa, establishing a capital dangerously close to theByzantine capital ofConstantinople. In 1328,Orhan, Osman's son, began the siege of Nicaea, which had been in a state of intermittent blockade since 1301. The Ottomans lacked the ability to control access to the town through the lakeside harbour. As a result, the siege dragged on for several years without conclusion.
In 1329, EmperorAndronicus III attempted to break the siege. He led a relief force to drive the Ottomans away from bothNicomedia and Nicaea. After some minor successes, however, the force suffered a reverse atPelekanon and withdrew. When it was clear that no effective Imperial force would be able to restore the frontier and drive off the Ottomans, the city proper fell on 2 March 1331.[1] Those inhabitants who wished to leave were permitted to do so, though few did.[2]
For a short period, the town became the capital of the expanding Ottoman Emirate,[3] The large church ofHagia Sophia in the center of the town was converted into the Orhan Mosque,[4] and a medrese (theological school) and hamam (bathhouse) were built nearby.[5] The inhabitants of Nicaea were quickly and willingly incorporated into the growing Ottoman Empire, and many of them had already embracedIslam by 1340.[6]
PatriarchJohn XIV of Constantinople wrote a message to the people of Nicea shortly after the city was seized. His letter says that "The invaders endeavored to impose their impure religion on the populace, at all costs, intending to make the inhabitants followers of Muhammad". The Patriarch advised the Christians to "be steadfast in your religion" and not to forget that the "Agarians [Turks] are masters of your bodies only, but not of your souls."[7][8][9]
The Moroccan travelerIbn Battuta stayed in Nicaea at the end of 1331,[10] According to Ibn Battuta, the town was in ruins and only inhabited by a small number of people in the service of the sultan. Within the city walls were gardens and cultivated plots with each house surrounded by an orchard. The town produced fruit, walnuts, chestnuts, and large sweet grapes.[11]
Nicaea had been in Turkish hands before. Itwas reconquered by theFirst Crusade through Byzantine diplomacy in 1097. It had served as the capital of the Byzantine emperors during the period of theLatin Empire from 1204 to 1261. It was the most important Asian city in the empire at the time of its fall to Osman. The Ottoman conquests continued apace andNicomedia fell in 1337. Hence, this long-held history of Nicaea in theGreco-Roman hands irreversibly ended. It had been under Greco-Roman control since the conquest ofAlexander the Great, and it was the seat of several milestoneChristian councils.
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