Atlas of Battles

siege, notable, medieval

Sack of Thessalonica

Sack of Thessalonica was a siege conducted in AD 904 at Thessaloniki, in what is now Greece. It was part of the Arab–Byzantine wars, which ran from AD 629 to 1050. The recorded result: Abbasid victory; Destruction of Thessalonica.

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Illustration of the sack of Thessalonica by the Arab fleet in 904, from the Madrid Skylitzes, fol. 111v, detail.
Illustration of the sack of Thessalonica by the Arab fleet in 904, from the Madrid Skylitzes, fol. 111v, detail.. Cplakidas, from 12th century manuscript, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
FoughtAD 904
WhereThessaloniki, Greece40.650N, 22.900E
OutcomeAbbasid victory; Destruction of Thessalonica
BelligerentsByzantine EmpireagainstAbbasid Caliphate; Tulunids
Casualties and losses5,000 killed; 22,000 captured; 60 Ships destroyedandUnknown
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 Thessalonica, AD 904
83 placed engagements of the Arab–Byzantine wars in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

DateAD 904 (year precision)
PlaceThessaloniki, Greece
40.650N, 22.900E
KindSiege, medieval
Casualties and losses5,000 killed; 22,000 captured; 60 Ships destroyedUnknown
Commanders
  • Leo of Tripoli
Sack of ThessalonicaSack of ThessalonicaBattle of ThessalonicaBattle of ThessalonicaBattle of ThessalonicaBattle of ThessalonicaBattle of ThessalonicaBattle of ThessalonicaLarissaBitolaIoaninaSeresKateriniXanthiKavalaKorçë100 km40.650N, 22.900E
The recorded site, with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

Nearest engagements

Contested ground: this site was fought over 16 times between AD 254 and 1422.

In the same war

Sack of Thessalonica is one of 167 engagements of the 10th century in the atlas and one of 493 in present-day Greece.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q1109261, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Sack of Thessalonica (904), revision 1374058449, 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.