Siege of Nicaea (1210)

The Siege of Nicaea in 1210 was an unsuccessful attempt to take the capital of the Nicaean Empire by the Sultanate of Rum.

Background

From 1176, the Byzantines suffered from numerous defeats, first at Myriokephalon then, with the death of Manuel I Komnenus the loss of Cotyaeum, Sozopolis and Ankara. In 1185 the Byzantines suffered an unsuccessful Norman invasion, destroying much of Greece whilst a successful Hungarian offensive and Bulgarian uprising robbed Byzantium of her possessions north of Thrace. In 1204 the capital itself was sacked and the remaining possessions carved up between different powers. Under such chaotic conditions it is little wonder that Antalya was taken by the Seljuks in 1207.

Siege of Nicaea

The city appears to have been taken in a furious assault. However, in the chaos of the battle Sultan Kai Khosrau was killed by a Byzantine defender - the sack of the capital had dispersed the Turkish troops and left their position vulnerable. It appears that a successful Byzantine counter, culminating in the Battle of the Meander Valley allowed the Nicaeans to restabilize their position in the east.