The Arab Conquest of Africa

The Arab expansion really began to accelerate at this point. Jerusalem was taken in April of 637. Antioch, Aleppo, fell later that year. And keep in mind that these cities would stay in Muslim control until the Latin knights of the first crusade liberated them. The Persians didn't really do much better. They did manage to launch a counter-offensive in 634 and defeated a Muslim army at the Battle of the Bridge. But after Yarmuk the caliph was able to redeploy forces to the Persian front. He quickly retook lower Mesopotamia and then in 637 advanced and took the Persian capital of Cestaphon. Eventually more forces were sent across the Zag