Battle of Harenc

On August 12, 1164, Raymond III of Tripoli and Bohemond III of Antioch marched to clear the fortress of Harenc besieged by Nur ad-Din. After having pushed the Muslim vanguard and pillaged the enemy camp, the crusaders continued beyond the Orontes River; Nur ad-Din, who had retained reserves, then launched an enveloping counter-offensive which crushed the Frankish army and captured most of its leaders.

Harenc commands the northern access to Antioch and controls the road to Aleppo. Since the capture of Banyas, Nur ad-Din has sought to break the line of Frankish fortresses. The barons of Outremer, divided between Antiochenians, Tripolitans and Templars, nevertheless gathered around four thousand men to prevent the fall of the place. Confident after a series of defensive successes, they neglected to coordinate their march.

Nur ad-Din combines feinting and encirclement: a light vanguard attracts the crusaders towards the plain, while heavy contingents remain hidden behind embankments. At the moment when the Franks, dispersed by pillage, crossed the Orontes, the Turkish cavalry closed the pincers on their flanks. The mounted archers cut off the retreat towards the fortress, the ghulams charged the center and isolated the count's banners, forcing the surrender after a final square around Raymond III.

Raymond III, Bohemond III, Hugh de Lusignan and almost half of the knighthood were taken captive to Aleppo for several years. Tripoli and Antioch remained without experienced leaders and had to seek Byzantine help to avoid collapse. Harenc capitulated shortly after, offering Nur ad-Din a protective shield against Antioch and strengthening its prestige in the Muslim world.