An illustration of the Battle of Hattin. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

JNS.org – A re-enactment of one of the most important Crusader battles that occurred in Jerusalem — the Battle of Hattin in 1187 — takes place in Israel from June 29-July 1 for the battle’s 828th anniversary.

The battle, waged between the Crusader states of the Levant and the forces of the Ayyubid Sultan Salah ad-Din, marked the final defeat of European Crusaders in the Holy Land. The Crusaders’ defeat led to Muslims regaining military dominance in the area.

Every year, the historical re-enactment group “Regnum Hierosolymitanum” meets with similar enthusiasts from Israel and around the world to reconstruct the events that led up to the Battle of Hattin as well as the battle itself.

During the re-enactment, which is based on exhaustive academic and archaeological research, participants are assigned to one of the two armies — that of King of Jerusalem Guy de Lusignan, or Salah ad-Din. The characters featured in the re-enactment include knights, mercenaries, Christian pilgrims, countrymen, Bedouins, musicians and others.