Capture of Soure (1144)

Capture of Soure (1144)
Part of Reconquista
Castle of Soure
Date September 1144 Location Soure, Portugal Result Almoravid victory
Belligerents
Almoravids	Kingdom of Portugal Knights Templar
Commanders and leaders
Abu Zakariya	Martin of Soure (POW)
Strength
4,000 men	Unknown
Casualties and losses
Unknown	Heavy

The Capture of Soure occurred in 1144, when the Almoravids of Santarém, invaded the Templar castle of Soure, which they sacked after defeating its garrison.

History

In September 1144, the Almoravids, led by the governor of Santarém, Abu Zakariya, alongside the prince of Cordoba, launched a raid against Portuguese territory with a force of 4,000 men. United, the Almoravid forces first attacked the castle of Tomar, taking its inhabitants by surprise, and not giving them a chance to warn the Portuguese king. Then, they rode north, avoiding Penela and Pombal, until they reached Soure, which the Templars ruled from 1128, during which they became an active force.

The Almoravids hide in the valleys waiting for the Christians, while sending a group of men to provoke the Templars. The Templars fell into the trap. They launched a sortie against the Muslims, however, they were defeated, with most of them killed or captured. The Almoravids then assaulted and sacked the castle, during which they burned and razed to the ground, taking many slaves, cattle, horses, spears, and swords. Among the captured was Martin of Soure. The Almoravids with their prisoners returned to Santarém.

Sources

• Edward McMurdo (1888), The History of Portugal: From the Commencement of the Monarchy to the Reign of Alfonso III,.[1]
• Kurt Villads Jensen (2016), Crusading at the Edges of Europe: Denmark and Portugal c.1000 – c.1250.[2]
• Domingos Amaral (2017), Assim Nasceu Portugal III - Os Conquistadores de Lisboa.[3]
• Jonathan Wilson (2021), he Conquest of Santarém and Goswin's Song of the Conquest of Alcácer do Sal.[4]