THE LAST PENETRATION OF THE CRUSADER ARMIES INTO THE SELJU？ TERRITORY OF ANATOLIA: EMPEROR FRIEDRICH BARBAROSSA’S CRUSADE (1089-1190)

DOI: 10.26650/TurkJHist.2018.18004 In the 12th century, Anatolia witnessed the great struggles between the Crusaders and the Turks, and the Crusaders penetrated into the Selju？ territory for the last time during the Third Crusade (1189–1192). By conquering Jerusalem in 1187, the Egyptian-Syrian ruler, ？alā？ al-Dīn, put an end to the Crusaders’ domination in Jerusalem, which lasted 88 years, at which point German Emperor Friedrich Barbarossa assumed the cross as well. Emperor Friedrich's army entered into Byzantine territory over Hungary in 1189, and by crossing through the Dar-danelles (？anakkale) into Anatolia, they moved southward through Bālikesir-Ala Shehir and headed toward Selju？ territory after the Byzantine border town Denizli (Laodiceia). Having proceeded under attacks from the Selju？ian army upon the Byzantine/Selju？ borderlands, the German Crusaders set A？shehir on fire and marched toward Iconium. After a fierce battle, Emperor Friedrich finally managed to enter into Iconium by force on May 18th, but after lea-ving Iconium, Friedrich drowned while crossing the Saleph River (Silifke / Salū？iya), upon which the German army disbanded (June 10, 1190). This paper deals with Emperor Friedrich Barbarossa’s army marching through Anatolia and the concurrent Selju？ian-Crusader struggle