What were the Crusades?
The Crusades were a series of religious wars between 1095 and 1291 in which Christian armies from Europe tried to take control of Jerusalem and the Holy Land from Muslim rulers.
In 1095, Pope Urban II called on Christians to help the Byzantine Empire and recapture Jerusalem. The First Crusade captured Jerusalem in 1099 and set up crusader states along the eastern Mediterranean. Later crusades were launched as Muslim leaders regained territory. The Sultan Saladin recaptured Jerusalem in 1187.
There were about eight or nine major crusades to the Holy Land. The Fourth Crusade, in 1204, instead attacked and looted the Christian city of Constantinople. The last major crusader stronghold, Acre, fell in 1291. Crusades were also fought in Spain, the Baltic region and against groups considered heretics.
Lasting impact
The Crusades caused great violence against Muslims, Jews and Eastern Christians. They also increased trade and cultural contact between Europe and the Middle East, bringing goods and knowledge to Europe. Their memory still affects relations between communities today.
Did You Know?
Military orders such as the Knights Templar and the Knights Hospitaller were founded during the Crusades to protect pilgrims and fight.