Battle·Umayyad
Siege of Mecca by Umayyad Forces
- Date
- 683 CE64 AH1,343 years ago
- Place
- Mecca
- People
- Husayn ibn Numayr, Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr
An Umayyad army under Husayn ibn Numayr besieged Mecca, where Ibn al-Zubayr had taken refuge. During the siege, the Kaaba was damaged by fire. Accounts differ on how the fire started. News of Yazid's death in November 683 led the army to withdraw, and Ibn al-Zubayr kept control of the city. The Kaaba was later rebuilt.
Why it matters
The damage to the Kaaba shocked many Muslims, and the siege showed the limits of Umayyad control in the Hejaz.