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Pic: The capture of Smyrna Castle by the Knights of Rhodes [Hospitallers], 28 October 1344 by Alexandre Debacq
>The Smyrniote crusades (1343–1351) were two Crusades sent by Pope Clement VI against the Emirate of Aydin under Umur Beg
>Principal target the coastal city of Smyrna [the Muslim Turkish invaders from Mongolia named the city Izmir] in Asia Minor
>The threat of Islamic Turkish piracy in the Aegean Sea had induced Clement's predecessors to maintain a fleet of four galleys there to defend Christian shipping
>The barbaric and fanatic Muslim Turks had increased their piracy against Christian merchants and raiding civilian coastlines in the Aegean area
>Hugh IV of Cyprus and the Order of the Hospital joined and on 2 November 1342, the Pope sent letters to engage the men and ships of Venice
>The Papal bull granting the Crusade indulgence and authorising its preaching throughout Europe, Insurgentibus contra fidem, was published on 30 September.
>The first Smyrniote crusade began with the naval victory of the Battle of Pallene and ended with an assault on Smyrna, capturing the harbour and the citadel on 28 October 1344
