Search for the Battlefield of the 1101 Crusade Begins in Ereğli, Türkiye

Archaeologists and historians have launched a surface survey in Ereğli, Konya, to determine the exact location of the Battle of Ereğli, one of the decisive clashes of the Crusade of 1101.

The fieldwork is being carried out between the neighborhoods of Akhüyük and Çiller with the participation of a 15-member team. Among them are Prof. Dr. Ahmet Kavas, former Ambassador to Chad and Senegal; Prof. Dr. Vedat Onar, Director of the Osteoarchaeology Research Center at Istanbul University; Serhat Şahin, head of the Architectural Restoration and Cultural Heritage Association; and Dr. Ömür Esen, a cartographic engineer from Selçuk University.

The Crusade of 1101: A Catastrophe in Anatolia

The Crusade of 1101, often described as a continuation of the First Crusade (1096–1099), ended in disaster for the European armies. One of the major forces, commanded by William II, Count of Nevers, set out from Constantinople in June 1101 and advanced through Ankara and Konya before reaching Ereğli.

But the route turned into a deadly mistake: previous crusading armies had already devastated the land, leaving no supplies or fodder. Exhausted and starving, the crusaders became easy prey for the Seljuk Sultan Kilij Arslan I and his ally Danishmend Gazi. By September, Turkish cavalry ambushed the crusaders near Ereğli and annihilated nearly the entire army. Only a handful managed to escape toward the Taurus Mountains. Count William himself barely survived, reaching Antioch with the help of a Turkopol guide — a Byzantine soldier of Turkish origin.

Historians see this defeat as a turning point: it consolidated Turkish dominance in Anatolia and slowed the momentum of the Crusades toward the Holy Land.

Why This Survey Matters

Locating the battlefield could shed light not only on the tactics and geography of the medieval conflict but also on the broader military and settlement history of central Anatolia. Scholars hope the survey will reveal archaeological traces of the battle, bridging the gap between medieval chronicles and the physical landscape.

Ereğli Haber