Nicaea, once one of the glories of the Byzantine Empire, was, at the time of the First Crusade, the capital of the Seljuk Turk sultanate of Rhüm ruled by Kilij Arslan. It first fell to the Turks in 1078, but was recaptured shortly afterwards. It was taken again in 1081, then recaptured once more before falling for the third time in 1086 - a sequence of events which underlines its strategic and psychological importance. In 1097, its population was still mostly Christian, although it had a large Turkish garrison.