Damascus, 1291 (After the Fall of Acre)

On 6 April, 1291, the Mamluk sultan Al-Ashraf Khahil besieged the Christian city of Acre which fell into his hands on 18 May thus effectively ending the Crusades.

As the Muslims swarmed through the city's breached walls, panic stricken citizen fled to the harbour desperately seeking passage from the inevitable mayhem they knew would follow. It is recorded five hundred noble ladies and young women, fearful of rape and enslavement came down to the seashore, when the city was about to fall, carrying with them priceless jewels and gold ornaments and begged the fleeing sailors to take them to safety. 

Roger de Flor, a mercenary commander and Knight Templar made his enormous fortune from selling passage to to the fleeing nobles and their families.

For the poor and less fortunate citizens of Acre, there was no escaping the slaughter, rape and enslavement by the victorious Muslims. 

The last remaining Templars defended their fortress for another ten days but eventually it too fell to the sultan's forces and all the Knights Templar were killed.

News of the Mamluk victory was the cause of great celebration in Damascus and Cairo. The victorious Sultan entered Damascus to a jubilant reception with his Crusader prisoners in chains and their captured Crusader standards carried upside-down in humiliating defeat.

What happened to those Christian prisoners? I suppose many were sold into slavery and ended their days in abject servitude under their new Muslim masters.

The above picture reminded me of the Fall of Acre and the fate of the Christian survivors. Perhaps many, as suggested by this picture, became the slaves of wealthy Muslims who used them for their sexual pleasure. In my imagination, the slave depicted in this picture - was a former Crusader I have named Tancrede - who now finds himself the plaything of a very demanding master. 

Here we see Tancrede being given the choice to submit to his ultimate humiliation or face the threat of his Master's knife and castration. After all, white, infidel eunuchs were in great demand in the slave-markets and fetched high prices.

The artwork is by one of my favourite artist, Madahv whose works always fire my imagination. The text is mine, however.