Outremer
Battle of Azaz
Tyre was a major acquisition. The Latins now controlled the entire coast, from Antioch to the Sinai, with only Ascalon holding out. More and more Italian fleets operated in the eastern Mediterranean, and commerce was flourishing. Baldwin was released in late June, upon payment of a large ransom; he arrived at Antioch in August.
Baldwin had been release on promise of payment of 80,000 dinars plus concession of several fortresses in the vicinity of Aleppo. He was released on partial payment of that sum, and hostages were given as guarantee for the rest. Once at Antioch, the King immediately began reneging on his promises. By October, mere months after his release, he had formed an alliance with Syrian Arabs who hated the ruler of Aleppo, Timurtash, the son of Balak. They combined forces and actually laid siege to Aleppo itself. Timurtash abandoned the city, leaving only a garrison.
As would often happen, if the Crusader states grew strong enough to threaten the general balance of power in the region, larger powers took notice. In this case, it was il-Bursuqi, the atabeg of Mosul. He gathered a large army and relieved Aleppo. The following year, the atabeg advanced into Edessan territory and laid siege to the town of Zerdana. Baldwin assembled a large army and met the Turks at Azaz toward the end of May, 1125.
This was one of the largest battles, in terms of sheer numbers, ever fought by the Crusader states. Baldwin had summoned the entire levy of knights, from Tripoli and Antioch as well as from Jerusalem, and his command numbered about eleven hundred knights and two thousand foot. The Turkish army, of course, was much larger. After an exceptionally bloody battle, the Latins were victorious. The booty from the victory was so large that Baldwin was able to ransom all the hostages. Il-Bursuqi returned to Mosul, and the north was quiet for well over a year. The Franks had had a near thing after the Field of Blood, but Tyre and Azaz had somewhat redressed the balance.