| Siege of Laodicea | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of theByzantine–Seljuq wars | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
| Byzantine Empire | Seljuk Sultanate of Rûm | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| John II Komnenos John Axouch | Alp-qara | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 17,000–20,000 | 700–800 | ||||||
Thesiege of Laodicea resulted in theByzantine capture of theSeljuq Turkish city ofLaodicea in 1119.
Upon ascending the throne in 1118, theByzantine emperorJohn II Komnenos was faced with the continued presence of Turks inPhrygia and along theMeander river.[1][2] John planned to reconquer the city ofLaodicea and led an army against it in the spring of 1119.[2][1]
When the army reached the Byzantine city ofPhiladelphia, John built a fortified camp and sent a force under theGrand DomesticJohn Axouch to attack Laodicea.[2] The city was defended by 700–800 Turks under the experienced commander Alp-qara.[2][1] Somewhat later, John's army marched on Laodicea and built fortifications around the city.[1] The city fell with little resistance.[2]
John appointed a garrison and restocked the city with sufficient supplies.[3] He then returned toConstantinople.[3][1]
37°50′8.99″N29°6′27.00″E / 37.8358306°N 29.1075000°E /37.8358306; 29.1075000