The Crusades were a series of military campaigns that took place in the Middle East between the Muslims and Christians, instigated by the capture of Jerusalem in 1076.
Jerusalem is considered the most holy city in the world for Christians, being both the place where Jesus spent most of his life and where he was crucified.
However, the city is also very important to Muslims as the founder of their faith, Muhammad, had also spent much time there.
After the Muslims took Jerusalem in 1076, they constructed the Dome of the Rock around the rock that Muhammad is believed to have prayed on, and so marked the beginning of a war between the Muslims and the Christians that would last almost 200 years.
Historians frequently argue over the start dates of the crusades. This is due to an ongoing debate over whether they begin as soon as they are called for or only begin once the troops set off on their journey. However, the dates are widely agreed to be the following:
|The First Crusade: 1096 to 1099|
|The Second Crusade: 1147 to 1149|
|The Third Crusade: 1189 to 1192|
|The Fourth Crusade: 1201 to 1204|
|The Fifth Crusade: 1217 to 1221|
|The Sixth Crusade: 1228 to 1229|
|The Seventh Crusade: 1248 to 1254|
|The Eighth Crusade: 1270|
Once they had set off on their journey, the first crusaders referred to themselves as pilgrims and wore large red crosses. It was this that prompted the name ‘crusade’, which derived from the latin work ‘crux’.
The taking of this crux to Jerusalem was seen by the crusaders as a symbol of their vows, which they believed would only be fulfilled once they had concluded their armed mission and reached their destination.
"The Crusades". HistoryLearning.com. 2015. Web.