Alexandrian Crusade

The brief Alexandrian Crusade, also called the sack of Alexandria,¹ occurred in October 1365 and was led by King Peter I of Cyprus against Alexandria in Egypt. The Crusade was sanctioned by Pope Urban V at the request of Peter I.² Although often referred to as and counted among the Crusades, it was relatively devoid of religious impetus and differs from the more prominent Crusades in that it seems to have been motivated largely by economic interests.³

History

King Peter I of Cyprus spent three years, from 1362 to 1365, amassing an army and seeking financial support for a Crusade from the wealthiest courts of the day. In 1365, he received a Papal Bull sanctioning his campaign as a crusade from Pope Urban V.² When he learned of a planned Egyptian attack against his Kingdom of Cyprus, he employed the same strategy of preemptive war that had been so successful against the Turks and redirected his military ambitions against Egypt. From Venice, he arranged for his naval fleet and ground forces to assemble at the Crusader stronghold of Rhodes, where they were joined by the Knights of the Order of St. John.

In October 1365, Peter I set sail from Rhodes, himself commanding a sizable expeditionary force and a fleet of 165 ships, despite Venice's greater economic and political clout. Landfall was made in around 9 October, and over the next three days, Peter's army pillaged the city killing thousands and taking 5000 people to be . Mosques, temples, churches and possibly the library also bore the brunt of the raid.