![]() wanted to reclaim land and prevent further expansion of the Islamic kingdoms.In 1095, Pope Urban II promised the knights of Europe forgiveness of their sins if they went on a Crusade to win back Jerusalem for Christianity. The Byzantine Emperor, Alexius, fearing the spread of Seljuk rule towards lands he controlled in south eastern Europe and a threat to the Christian city of Constantinople, appealed to the Pope for help. Rumours of mistreatment of local Christians and pilgrims spread. They imposed taxes and charges on Christians wanting to visit holy sites. The Seljuk Turks saw Christian presence in the Holy Land as a threat to their authority. It became harder for Christian pilgrims to visit as various Muslim groups struggled for power. New trade routes were established, meaning more goods could be bought and sold both across Europe and with the Middle East.Īround 1077, Muslim Seljuk Turks took control of the Holy Land. Crusaders brought back new spices and textiles from the Holy Land and the wider Islamic world. They opened up new opportunities for trade. The Crusades were economically significant too. The Crusades were encouraged by the Pope, so leaders also believed they were doing God’s work by fighting for control of the Holy Land. European rulers believed success in ‘winning back’ the Holy Land would secure their power and legacy as a successful leader. The Crusades were not only significant for religious reasons - they were also politically significant. The Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa mosque are sites of pilgrimage for Muslims.įor Jewish people, Jerusalem is important it is seen as the centre of the world, and is believed to be the site where Abraham, the founder of Judaism, was prepared to sacrifice his son, Isaac, as God tested his devotion to his faith. ![]() Arab Muslims conquered the Holy Land in 638. ![]() To Muslims, it is considered to be a holy site, where they believe Prophet Muhammad ascended to Heaven from Jerusalem. Christian pilgrims had come to the city for centuries. įor Christians, Jerusalem is the place where they believe Jesus died and was buried. For Jewish people, Christians and Muslims, Jerusalem was and still is a holy city and a destination for pilgrimage. In the Middle Ages, the Islamic world stretched from stretched from India, in South Asia, to Spain, in Western Europe, and included Jerusalem and the Holy Land. ![]()
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