Arda was the wife of King
Baldwin I of Jerusalem. She was the first queen of Jerusalem, as Baldwin's brother
Godfrey of Bouillon was unmarried.
Her name is unrecorded in contemporary sources, but since the
17th century she has been traditionally called Arda. She was the daughter of a minor Armenian noble named Thathoul (or Thoros), lord of
Marash. Baldwin married her in
1097 after the death of his first wife, Godehilde, who had travelled with him on the
First Crusade. Thoros promised 60,000
bezants as a
dowry. This was a politically convenient marriage, as Baldwin was the first
Count of Edessa, a
crusader state carved out of
Armenian territory in
Mesopotamia.
in
1097 after the death of his first wife, Godehilde, who had travelled with him on the
First Crusade. Thoros promised 60,000
bezants as a
dowry.
NOTE - Baldwin I of Jerusalem's wife.....predates Baldwin II's daughter...........