AtlasIslamica

Battle of Yarmouk

Regarded as one of the most decisive battles in military history, The Battle of Yarmouk marked the first great wave of early Muslim conquests into the then Christian Levant

Yarmouk, Syria

Coordinates: 32.814167, 35.954722

The Battle of Yarmouk was a major battle between the army of the Byzantine Empire and the Muslim forces of the Rashidun Caliphate.

The battle consisted of a series of engagements that lasted for six days in August 636, near the Yarmouk River, along what are now the borders of Syria–Jordan and Syria–Palestine, east of the Sea of Galilee.

The result of the battle was a complete Muslim victory that ended Byzantine rule in Syria.

The Battle of Yarmouk is regarded as one of the most decisive battles in military history, and it marked the first great wave of early Muslim conquests after the death of Muhammad, heralding the rapid advance of Islam into the then Christian Levant.

To check the Arab advance and to recover lost territory, Emperor Heraclius had sent a massive expedition to the Levant in May 636.

As the Byzantine army approached, the Arabs tactically withdrew from Syria and regrouped all their forces at the Yarmouk plains close to the Arabian Peninsula, where they were reinforced and defeated the numerically superior Byzantine army.

The battle is Khalid ibn al-Walid’s greatest military victory and cemented his reputation as one of the greatest tacticians and cavalry commanders in history

Yarmouk River

The Yarmouk River is located in an important region between the borders of several countries, and this site has several events that changed the face of the region in general.

It is is the largest tributary of the Jordan River.