Siege of Ascalon The Siege of Ascalon took place in 1153 , resulting in the capture of that Egypt ian fortress by the Crusade r Kingdom of Jerusalem . Background . Ascalon was Fatimid Egypt ' s greatest and most important frontier fortress . The Battle of Ascalon was fought outside the city in 1099 in the aftermath of the First Crusade and the fall of Jerusalem to the Crusaders . Although the crusaders were victorious , internal disputes in their camp allowed Ascalon to remain in Egyptian hands . Thereafter , the Fatimids were able to launch raids into the kingdom every year from this fortress , and the southern border of the crusader kingdom remained unstable . If this fortress fell , then the gateway to Egypt would be open . Therefore , the Fatimid garrison in Ascalon remained strong and large . After the failure of the Second Crusade in 1148 , Conrad III of Germany attempted to besiege the fortress , but was forced to withdraw when no help was forthcoming from Jerusalem or other crusaders . Meanwhile , the territory to the east and north of Jerusalem was united under Nur ad - Din Zangi , who ruled Mosul and Aleppo and brought Damascus under his influence after the Second Crusade . In 1149 Nur ad - Din defeated the Principality of Antioch at the Battle of Inab . Nur ad - Din was unable to overrun Antioch entirely , nor was he able to penetrate far into the Kingdom of Jerusalem , but likewise there was little Jerusalem could do in the north and the east with the whole area united under one strong ruler . The crusader kingdom would have to look towards Egypt if they wanted to expand . Around 1150 , Baldwin III of Jerusalem rebuilt the city of Gaza , which at that point lay in ruins . The city was handed over to the Knights Templar , and provided some defense against the continual raids from Ascalon , 10 miles to the northeast . Since the establishment of the kingdom , other fortresses had also been built to watch Ascalon . These were Ibelin ( Yibneh ) about 20 miles northeast of Ascalon near the coast , Blanche Garde ( Tell es Safi ) about 15 miles east - northeast , Gibelin ( Bait Jibrin ) about 19 miles east and Montgisard near Ramla 28 miles to the northeast . However , Jerusalem itself was soon divided by civil war . Baldwin III was the legal heir to the kingdom , but his mother Queen Melisende had been ruling as regent since 1143 . In 1152 Baldwin finally demanded full control of the kingdom ; after some brief fighting he was able to accomplish this goal . Later that year Baldwin also defeated a Turkish invasion of the Kingdom . Encouraged by these victories , Baldwin decided to make an assault on Ascalon in 1153 . With the entire army of Jerusalem he marched to the fortress and began to destroy the surrounding orchards in January . Patriarch Fulcher was also present with the relic of the True Cross , along with Raymond du Puy de Provence and Bernard de Tremelay , the masters of the Hospitallers and Templars respectively , and all the other great barons of the kingdom , including Hugh of Ibelin , Philip of Milly , Humphrey II of Toron , and Raynald of Châtillon . The siege was undertaken both by land and by sea , with the fleet commanded by Gerard of Sidon . The crusader force was also bolstered by a large group of pilgrims , who happened to be on their way to Jerusalem at the time . Siege tower s were constructed , and for five months there were many skirmishes and victories and defeats on both sides . Ascalon was vast and virtually impenetrable ; behind its massive walls and gates were twice as many defenders as there were besiegers outside , and there were supplies of food to last for years . In May the Egyptian fleet arrived to resupply the city ; Gerard of Sidon ' s little fleet could do nothing to stop them . However , a setback for Ascalon occurred in August when the besieged tried to burn down one of the crusader siege towers ; the wind pushed the fire back against their own walls , causing a large section to collapse . According to William of Tyre , knights of the Order rushed through the breach without Baldwin ' s knowledge while Bernard de Tremelay , the Master of the Temple , prevented other crusaders from following as he did not want to share the spoils of the city with the king . Bernard and about forty of his Templars were killed by the larger Egyptian garrison . Their bodies were displayed on the ramparts and their heads were sent to the caliph in Cairo . In a differing account by a Damascene chronicler in the city , the breach of the wall is simply mentioned as a pre - cursor to the fall of the city ; he makes no mention of the incident with the Templars . Because of William of Tyre ' s dislike of the Order , and the wildly inaccurate news that reached Europe during the crusades , his account must be treated with caution ; but regardless of which account is believed , Bernard was killed during the fighting . By now the crusaders were becoming fatigued and it was suggested that they abandon the siege . The Hospitallers and the Patriarch , however , convinced the king that they were on the verge of victory . Three days later another assault was made , and another entrance was forced . After bitter fighting the city fell to the crusaders on August 19 , and the fortress was formally surrendered to them three days later . The citizens were allowed to leave in peace ; most fled back to Egypt . Aftermath . Ascalon was turned into a diocese directly under the Patriarch of Jerusalem , although in earlier times it had been a suffragan of the Bishop of Bethlehem . The city ' s mosque was reconsecrated as a church . The city was also added to the County of Jaffa , which was already held by Baldwin III ' s brother Amalric . The double County of Jaffa and Ascalon later became the most important crusader seigneury , held either as an apanage to the crown or granted to influential barons . The fall of Ascalon contributed to the downfall of Fatimid Egypt . Amalric succeeded his brother as king of Jerusalem in 1162 , and throughout the 1160s led numerous expeditions from Ascalon into Egypt . These Crusader invasions of Egypt failed to bring that country under Amalric ' s control .