The siege ended the decade-long Second Fitna, reuniting the Islamic Caliphate under Umayyad rule and eliminating the rival caliphate of Ibn al-Zubayr.
Key Facts
- Siege start
- March 692
- Siege duration
- Six to seven months
- Death of Ibn al-Zubayr
- October 692
- Umayyad general
- Hajjaj ibn Yusuf
- Siege method
- Catapult bombardment and supply blockade
- Ka'ba outcome
- Rebuilt to original Muhammadan plan after bombardment damage
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Following the death of Caliph Yazid in 683, Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr established a rival caliphate recognized across most of the Islamic world, while the Umayyads were confined to Syria. After stabilizing Syria and Iraq, Umayyad caliph Abd al-Malik dispatched his general Hajjaj ibn Yusuf to eliminate Ibn al-Zubayr's power base in Mecca.
Beginning in March 692, Hajjaj ibn Yusuf besieged Mecca for six to seven months, bombarding the city with catapults and cutting off supplies. Mass desertions weakened Ibn al-Zubayr's forces, and he was killed with his remaining supporters in October 692, ending Zubayrid resistance.
The fall of Mecca concluded the Second Fitna and reunified the Caliphate under Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan. Umayyad authority was restored across all provinces, ending a decade of civil war. The Ka'ba, damaged during the bombardment, was subsequently rebuilt according to its original plan from the time of the Prophet Muhammad.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Abd al-Malik ibn Marwan, Hajjaj ibn Yusuf.
Side B
1 belligerent
Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr.