While Philaretos was away in Edessa, Sulayman b. Kutulmush quietly left Nicaea and made his way southwards with extraordinary speed and secrecy, so that he was able to surprise and capture Antioch. He had his soldiers climb Antioch's walls by way of ropes fixed to the battlements, thanks to the secret help of some of its inhabitants. Once he had taken Antioch, 110 muezzins called the Muslims to perform the Friday prayer in the Church of Qusyan (Hagios Petros). Ibn Manjak joined Sulayman in Antioch after the conquest with 300 knights; then his whole army joined him, one troop after the other. Sulayman would later, after a siege, take the citadel of Antioch by capitulation, in order to avoid causing a massacre and being involved with prisoners