| Siege of Tomar | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part ofAlmohad campaign against Portugal (1190–1191) andAlmohad wars in the Iberian Peninsula | |||||||
.jpg) Citadel of Tomar | |||||||
| |||||||
| Belligerents | |||||||
| Almohad Caliphate | |||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Gualdim Pais | Yaqub al-Mansur | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| 300 knights | 12,000 men[3] | ||||||
Thesiege of Tomar was a military engagement that took place in 1190 between the Almohad caliphate who attacked the town ofTomar inPortugal, and theTemplar Order, who owned the settlement and successfully defended it from the Muslim attack.
The master of the Templars in Portugal was the formidable DomGualdim Pais, who had spent five years in the Holy Land and shortly after his return to Portugal, construction began on the castle of Tomar.[4] Tomar was founded by Pais in March 1, 1160, and became the headquarters of the Order in Portugal.[4][5] Pais brought innovation and particular attention was paid to the layout and construction of Tomar, as it was the first Templar castle designed as the Orders headquarters in Portugal.[4] It featured a number of military design innovations like a keep, an angled wall and was a clear departure from the typical Iberian castle and featured Muslim elements.[4]
After kingSancho I of Portugal captured the major city ofSilves in south-westernIberia, theAlmohad caliphYaqub al-Mansur decided to undertake a number of vigorous campaigns against Portugal. Silves was besieged and a truce was signed with kingAlfonso VIII of Castile, leaving al-Mansur free to advance through the Alentejo.Alcácer do Sal,Palmela,Almada,Abrantes were captured and moving north beyond the Tagus River,Torres Novas was captured.[6] The caliph then split his forces. and attacked bothTomar andSantarém at the same time. Some Almohads marched north and reached the walls ofCoimbra, destroyingLeiria along the way.[7]
Tomar was then one of the strongest castles in Portugal.[7]
Dom Gualdim Pais conducted a sally with 300knights against the Almohad army.[3] The Almohads managed to capture the main city gate, but were ultimately repulsed after such bloody combats that the gate became henceforth known asPorta do Sangue or "Blood Gate".[8] Some of the Templars conducted a raid on the Almohad camp through a secret underground tunnel.[6]
Meanwhile, a number ofEnglish and French crusader vessels called at Silves andLisbon. Sancho was at Lisbon at the time and with the support of these reinforcements, the king rejected Yaqub's peace proposals, which involved relinquishing Silves, and marched out to relieve Santarém. Facing stronger resistance than expected, the caliph ordered a withdrawal of all his forces. The Muslims were only able to ravage the unfortified outer suburbs of Tomar.[7]
The Templars broke the impetus of the Almohad offensive.[9] The successful defense of Tomar confirmed the military prowess of the Templars and established the Order as an indispensable part of the defense of Portugal.[1] The relatively short action was since recounted in Templar annals as a great victory.[2] Afterwards, the Order rejoined the Portuguese efforts at recapturing territory from the Muslims more actively.[2]