Atlas of Battles

siege, major, medieval

Sack of Amorium

Sack of Amorium was a siege conducted on 1 August AD 838 at Amorium, in what is now Turkey; it lasted 14 days. It was part of the Arab–Byzantine wars, which ran from AD 629 to 1050. The recorded result: Abbasid victory; Razing of Amorium. Recorded strength: 40,000 in the field army, 30,000 in Amorium against 80,000.

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The Siege of Amorium by the Arabs in 838, from the Madrid Skylitzes, cod. Vitr. 26-2, fol. 59v
The Siege of Amorium by the Arabs in 838, from the Madrid Skylitzes, cod. Vitr. 26-2, fol. 59v. Unknown, 12th/13th century author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Fought1 August AD 838lasted 14 days
WhereAmorium, Turkey39.020N, 31.289E
OutcomeAbbasid victory; Razing of Amorium
BelligerentsByzantine EmpireagainstAbbasid Caliphate
Casualties and losses30,000–70,000 military and civilian deadandUnknown
Part ofArab–Byzantine warsAD 629 to 1050

Where it sits in the Arab–Byzantine wars

Battle of Mu'tah, AD 629Siege of Germanicia, AD 638Battle of Caesarea, AD 654Battle of the Masts, AD 655Siege of Constantinople, AD 674Battle of Sebastopolis, AD 692Battle of Marash, AD 694Battle of Sis, AD 704Siege of Tyana, AD 707Battle of Amorium, AD 708Siege of Constantinople, AD 717Battle of Adrianópolis, AD 718Siege of Nicaea, AD 727Battle of Akroinon, AD 732Battle of Akroinon, AD 740Battle of Keramaia, AD 746Battle of Melas River, AD 759Siege of Kamacha, AD 766Battle of Syca, AD 771Siege of Ancyra, AD 776Battle of Caesarea, AD 781Battle of Kopidnadon, AD 788Battle of Gulf of Attaleia, AD 790Capture of Thebasa, AD 793Battle of Anusan, AD 795Battle of Krasos, AD 804Battle of the Cilician Gates, AD 807Battle of Ancyra, AD 825Battle of Charsianon, AD 831Capture of Loulon, AD 832Siege of Arsamosata, AD 837Battle of Anzen, AD 838Sack of Amorium, AD 838Battle of Taranto, AD 840Battle of Sansego, AD 842Battle of Mauropotamos, AD 844Siege of Samosata, AD 859Battle of Chonarion, AD 860Capture of Farurriyah, AD 862Battle of Lalakaon, AD 863Siege of Ragusa, AD 866Battle of Bathys Ryax, AD 872Battle of Kardia, AD 872Battle of the Gulf of Corinth, AD 873Battle of the Cilician Gates, AD 878Battle of Podandus, AD 878Battle of Cephalonia, AD 880Battle of Stelai, AD 880Siege of Euripos, AD 880Battle of Chrysoboullon, AD 883Sack of Thessalonica, AD 904Siege of Dvin, AD 927Battle of Charpete, AD 938Battle of Germanikeia, AD 949Battle of Bouqa, AD 949Siege of Theodosiopolis, AD 949Battle of the Lycus, AD 950Battle of Darb al-Kankarun, AD 950Battle of Gerace, AD 952Battle of Marash, AD 953Siege of Hadath, AD 955Battle of Arghana, AD 956Battle of Raban, AD 958Siege of Naples, AD 958Battle of Andrassos, AD 960Sack of Aleppo, AD 962Siege of Rometta, AD 963Battle of the Straits, AD 965Siege of Antioch, AD 968Siege of Antioch, AD 970Battle of Alexandretta, AD 971Battle of Amida, AD 972Siege of Aleppo, AD 994Battle of the Orontes, AD 994Battle of Apamea, AD 998Siege of Tripoli, AD 999Battle of Azaz, 1030Sieges of Berkri, 1034Capture of Palermo, 1036Siege of Edessa, 1036Siege of Messina, 1041Siege of Medina, 1053Siege of Manbij, 1075AD 6291075Sack of Amorium, AD 838
83 placed engagements of the Arab–Byzantine wars in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

Date1 August AD 838
to 15 August AD 838
PlaceAmorium, Turkey
39.020N, 31.289E
KindSiege, medieval
Strength40,000 in the field army, 30,000 in Amorium80,000
Casualties and losses30,000–70,000 military and civilian deadUnknown
Commanders
  • Theophilos (emperor)
  • Magistros
  • Al-Mu'tasim
  • Afshin (Caliphate General)
  • Ashinas
  • Ja'far ibn Dinar al-Khayyat
  • 'Ujayf ibn 'Anbasa
  • Bugha al-Kabir
Sack of AmoriumSack of AmoriumBattle of the Zompe BridgeBattle of IpsusSiege of ManzikertBattle of AkroinonBattle of PhilomelionBattle of the Zompe BridgeBattle of IpsusSiege of ManzikertBattle of AkroinonBattle of PhilomelionAnkaraKonyaEskişehirKütahyaPolatlıBilecik100 km39.020N, 31.289E
The recorded site, with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

The ground today

Relief of the ground around the site of Sack of Amorium
Relief within about 10.0 km of the site, contours every 50 m. Copernicus DEM GLO-30, ESA.
Satellite view of the site of Sack of Amorium today
The same ground from Sentinel-2 on 2023-07-23. Contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data 2023.

The recorded site stands at about 934 m; within 10.0 km the ground runs from 0 to 1,041 m, 1,041 m of relief, mountainous country and today it is 85% cropland, 13% grassland.

cropland: 85%grassland: 13%cropland 85%grassland 13%
west to east, 10.0 km924 to 1,001 mnorth to south, 10.0 km0 to 993 m
Elevation from the Copernicus DEM GLO-30 (ESA, Airbus); land cover from ESA WorldCover 2021 (CC BY 4.0), within about 5 km of the recorded site. Computed, not recorded.

Nearest engagements

In the same war

Elsewhere in AD 838

Sack of Amorium is one of 169 engagements of the 9th century in the atlas and one of 622 in present-day Turkey.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q1669285, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Sack of Amorium, revision 1382212771, read 2026-11-14, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the article's text is not reproduced here. Present-day country and state from Natural Earth. Dates before 1582 follow the Julian calendar as recorded.