Seljuks take Damascus

1075

Seljuk commander Atsiz ibn Uvaq captured Damascus from Fatimid control, consolidating Turkish dominance over Syria. The Turkmen hold on the cities of the Levant was tightening. Latin pilgrims found themselves in an increasingly unstable political landscape in which no single power could guarantee their safety on the road. Damascus under Seljuk rule became a base for further Turkish expansion toward Egypt and the Holy Land.