From the moment it was founded, the Overseas Empire faced an important question—where should its capital be established?
The elders of the Kingdom of Jerusalem and the old Crusader aristocrats believed it was only natural to make Jerusalem the capital.
Egypt's Copts hoped Lothar would consider moving the seat of government to the ancient capital of Cairo, ensuring that the Copts, who made up the largest share of the empire's population, would not be marginalized and would remain at the heart of the empire.
In their view, Egypt, which contributed the most taxes and soldiers to the empire, naturally deserved such treatment.
The rising Crusader aristocrats under Lothar were more inclined to see him establish the capital in Alexandria or one of the coastal cities in the Nile Delta.
The converted Saracen nobles who had pledged allegiance had the least say in the matter. They hoped Lothar would continue Saladin's choice and establish the capital in Damascus. Ironically, their preference aligned most closely with Lothar's own intentions.
Cairo and Alexandria were too remote. Though economically prosperous, they were unsuitable as the heart of an empire.
Just like the eastern dynasties, the economic center could be in the south, but the political center had to be in the north.
Jerusalem was well situated geographically, but it was surrounded by mountains, difficult to access, and short on water. The potential for the entire city's development was inherently limited—if its religious significance were set aside, this holy city of three faiths should have been no more than a small town capable of housing ten or twenty thousand permanent residents at most.
Even under Baldwin IV, the Kingdom of Jerusalem had already shown a tendency to shift the center of governance toward Acre.
As for Damascus, though it was less magnificent than Cairo and