The early Arab siege of Constantinople under Mu'awiya
حصار العرب للقسطنطينية في خلافة معاوية
Arslan's chapter on Arab sieges of Constantinople describes the first large attempt, under Mu'awiya, when a fleet sailed from Tripoli in Syria under Busr ibn Abi Artat, and a land army is thought to have begun the siege. He reports disagreement among Arab historians over the death of Abu Ayyub al-Ansari (may God be pleased with him) during the siege, and doubts the later legend of his grave. The same chapter notes a later siege under Harun al-Rashid that ended in a truce and tribute. This is Arslan's compilation of sources that disagree on the dates.
At a glance
- Era
- The Umayyad Period
- Review
- Draft Completeness 1/5 · Help complete it
Overview
In the section "The Arab sieges of Constantinople", Shakib Arslan presents the first siege the Muslims laid against the city in the caliphate of Mu'awiya. This is what the author relates from several sources, whose dates differ. 1
What Arslan reports
- An Arab fleet was equipped in 653 CE at Tripoli in Syria under the command of Busr ibn Abi Artat.
- The land army began the siege in 667 CE, which the author judges to be the more likely date.
- The fleet sailed away from the city in 673 CE.
- Abu Ayyub al-Ansari died during the siege. The author sets out the historians' disagreement over the year of his death, and discusses what is related about his grave.
- The section also covers Harun al-Rashid's siege of the city, which ended in a truce and the payment of the jizya.
Caution
These dates come from a single source, Arslan's commentary. They should not be used before they are checked against Byzantine sources and recent scholarship. It needs an additional source.
Sources
- محمد قباني، الدولة الأموية من الميلاد إلى السقوط (دمشق، دار وحي القلم، 2006)
- Stoddard, Hadir al-ʿalam al-islami (Arabic translation with Arslan's commentary)
Cite this page
islam.museum contributors. “The early Arab siege of Constantinople under Mu'awiya”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/event/arab-siege-of-constantinople-667/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Accessed 2026-10-17.