The Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia was an <a href="https://history-maps.com/story/History-of-Armenia" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Armenian</a> state formed during the High Middle Ages by Armenian refugees fleeing the <a href="https://history-maps.com/story/Seljuk-Turks" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Seljuk</a> invasion of Armenia. Located outside the Armenian Highlands and distinct from the Kingdom of Armenia of antiquity, it was centered in the Cilicia region northwest of the Gulf of Alexandretta. The kingdom was founded in 1080 and lasted until 1375, when it was conquered by the Mamluk Sultanate. The kingdom had its origins in the principality founded c. 1080 by the Rubenid dynasty, an alleged offshoot of the larger Bagratuni dynasty, which at various times had held the throne of Armenia. Their capital was originally at Tarsus, and later became Sis. Cilicia was a strong ally of the European <a href="https://history-maps.com/story/Crusader-States-Outremer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Crusaders</a>, and saw itself as a bastion of Christendom in the East. During its early years, the kingdom was a vassal state of the <a href="https://history-maps.com/story/Byzantine-Empire-Komnenian-Dynasty" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Byzantine Empire</a> and later of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. It became a fully independent kingdom in the 12th century. The kingdom's military and diplomatic power enabled it to maintain its independence against the Byzantines, the Crusaders, and the Seljuks, and it played a key role in the region as a mediator between these powers. The kingdom was known for its skilled cavalry and its successful trading network, which extended as far as the Black Sea and the Crimea. It was also home to a number of important cultural and religious centers, including the Armenian Catholicosate of Sis, which was the center of the Armenian Church. The Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia was eventually conquered by the <a href="https://history-maps.com/story/Mamluk-Sultanate" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Mamluks</a> in the 14th century, and its territories were absorbed into the Ottoman Empire in the 15th century. However, the legacy of the kingdom lived on in the Armenian diaspora, which maintained strong ties to their ancestral homeland and played a significant role in the cultural and intellectual life of the region.

Visual Timelines

Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia Timeline

Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia Timeline

Prologue

Lord of the Mountains

Seljuks conquer the Armenian Highlands

Reign of Constantine I, Prince of Armenia

Crusades

First Crusade

Toros takes the Castle of Sis

Blood Revenge

Prince Levon I

Battle of Mamistra

Byzantine Homage

Prince Levon II

Principality becomes a Kingdom

Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia

Isabella, Queen of Armenia

Hethumids

Armenian vassalage to the Mongols

Mongol invasion of Syria and Mesopotamia

Disaster of Mari

Cilicia earthquake

Second Mamluk Invasion

Truce with Mamluks

Truce with the Mamluks

Campaigns with Mongols

Battle of Wadi al-Khaznadar

Last Mongol invasion of Syria

Murder of Hetum and Leo

Assassination of Levon IV

Decline and Fall

Lusignan dynasty

End of the Kingdom

Epilogue

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Migration of Early Modern Humans

Geopolitical Theories

Life in a Medieval Village

Logistics during the American Civil War

Art of War of the Byzantine Empire

Naval Warfare during the American Revolution

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