On this day 830 years ago...

The Battle of Hattin, a monumental defeat of the Christian Crusader army by the opposing, Saladin-led Muslims, took place in Northern Palestine.The Crusades were a series of Christian war campaigns waged against occupation of the Christian Holy Lands and previously occupied territories. This particular defeat paved the way for the Muslim occupation of Jerusalem, Antioch, and Tripoli, and eventually led to the third Crusades some years later.

The name of the battle, also referred to as the "Horns of Hattin", is derived from the twin peaks of an extinct volcano that acted as the backdrop of the bloodshed.This battle was fought during the hot summer months when grass was especially dry and susceptible to fires. Saladin, the first sultan of Egypt and Syria, ordered his troops to set fire to the grass. This resulted in the Crusader's inability to access the Sea of Galilee. Of note in this antagonistic battle, was the Qubbat al-Nasr, or Vicotry Dome built at the direction of Sultan Saladin. This was an added insult to the Crusaders who believed this mountain was likely where their prophet had delivered the Sermon on the Mount.

The battle concluded with the surrender of the Crusaders to Saladin. According to the sultan's secretary, Imad ed-Din:

"Saladin ordered that they should be beheaded, choosing to have them dead rather than in prison. With him was a whole band of scholars and Sufis and a certain number of devout men and ascetics, each begged to be allowed to kill one of them, and drew his sword and rolled back his sleeve. Saladin, his face joyful, was sitting on his dais, the unbelievers showed black despair."