What did the Seljuk Turks do to Jerusalem?
During the course of the war, the Seljuk Turks and their allies attacked the Fatimid Caliphate of Egypt, capturing Jerusalem and catalyzing the call for the First Crusade. Crusader assistance to the Byzantine Empire was mixed with treachery and looting, although substantial gains were made in the First Crusade.
When did the Seljuk Turks conquer the Holy Land?
1071
When the Seljuk Turks secured Jerusalem from the Egyptians in 1071, as well as defeating Byzantine Emperor Romanus IV, Christian access was denied and the Holy Sepulcher despoiled.
What practices allowed the Ottoman Empire to grow?
Originating in Söğüt (near Bursa, Turkey), the Ottoman dynasty expanded its reign early on through extensive raiding. This was enabled by the decline of the Seljuq dynasty, the previous rulers of Anatolia, who were suffering defeat from Mongol invasion. Read more about Anatolia.
What did Pope Urban II do to start the Crusades?
On November 27, 1095, Pope Urban II makes perhaps the most influential speech of the Middle Ages, giving rise to the Crusades by calling all Christians in Europe to war against Muslims in order to reclaim the Holy Land, with a cry of “Deus vult!” or “God wills it!”
What did Pope Urban say about the Muslims?
Urban denigrated the Muslims, exaggerating stories of their anti-Christian acts, and promised absolution and remission of sins for all who died in the service of Christ. Urban’s war cry caught fire, mobilizing clerics to drum up support throughout Europe for the crusade against the Muslims.
When did Pope Urban II die in 1099?
Urban died in 1099, two weeks after the fall of Jerusalem but before news of the Christian victory made it back to Europe. His was the first of seven major military campaigns fought over the next two centuries known as the Crusades, the bloody repercussions of which are still felt today.
When did the Turks threaten the Byzantine Empire?
When the Turks then threatened to invade the Byzantine Empire and take Constantinople, Byzantine Emperor Alexius I made a special appeal to Urban for help. This was not the first appeal of its kind, but it came at an important time for Urban.