Wikipedia:Today's featured article/January 21, 2015

The Second Arab Siege of Constantinople in 717–718 was a land and sea offensive by the Arabs of the Umayyad Caliphate against the capital city of the Byzantine Empire, Constantinople. In 716, after 20 years of progressive occupation of the borderlands of Byzantium during its prolonged internal turmoil, Arabs led by Maslama ibn Abd al-Malik invaded Byzantine Asia Minor. They made common cause with the general Leo the Isaurian, who had risen up against Emperor Theodosios III, but Leo tricked them and secured the Byzantine throne for himself in 717. The Arab army then crossed into Thrace and built siege lines to blockade the city, which was protected by the massive Theodosian Walls. The Arab fleet's attempted blockade was neutralized by the Byzantine navy's Greek fire (pictured), and the Arab army was crippled by famine and disease during the unusually hard winter that followed. After the defeat of two Arab fleets and another Arab army, followed by an attack on their rear by Bulgarians, the siege was lifted in 718. Although regular attacks on Byzantine territories continued, the Caliphate's goal of conquest was abandoned. Historians credit the siege with halting the Muslim advance into Europe, and rank it among history's most consequential battles. (Full article...)

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