A thousand years ago, a multitude of crusaders made their journey to Jerusalem. The power of the sultans is expanding and the Christian faith in the East is in danger. The call for help results in an army of Christian knights coming from Europe. Looking for adventure but most of all, looking for God’s mercy.
Around 1000 AD the Christian world exists of an eastern and a western part. The eastern part is the Byzantine Empire with Constantinople as its capital; the western part is governed by the Pope in Rome. The Muslims are becoming more and more powerful and in 1453 they conquer the Christian city of Constantinople once and for all. The Turks rename the city Istanbul.
Already in 1091 the Byz
antine emperor feels the threat of the Seljuk Turks. He asks the West for help in the form of mercenaries. Pope Urban II sees an opportunity to expand his power from Rome to the Middle East. He urges farmers and knights to go and fight the heathen Muslims, the occupiers of Jerusalem and the holy grave. In the name of God!
The knights of the chess game that is made up of crusaders and Saracens
The first crusade
Ever since the 7th century Muslims had been occupying the city of Jerusalem, but it had never caused any problems. Holy Christian sites such as the Olive Mountain and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre could be visited without problem. This tolerant mindset changes when the same Seljuk Turks conquer Palestine. They destroy the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, an event that gives the Pope an extra reason to send an army to Jerusalem. All of the crusaders receive an indulgence to absolve their time in purgatory, which was the main reason why men went on this mission: medieval people were very religious. The hard journeys through the Alps or over the sea take their toll on the army of the First Crusade (1096-1099), which is thinned out considerably even before it sets foot on Palestinian ground. Without much ado Jerusalem is reconquered and its population nearly completely wiped out. The Holy City is once again under civilized rule…
Saladin
The leaders of the Middle East don’t really respond to the conquest of Jerusalem. The problems they have between them take up most of their time. This all changes when Saladin (1137-1193) enters the scene. This commanding officer makes it to sultan of Syria and Egypt and brings peace and harmony to the area. When Christian knights attack Muslim caravans, in spite of the treaties between Saladin and the European king of Jerusalem, the sultan decides to set things straight in Palestine. He conquers most of the cities that are under Christian rule, including Jerusalem, in 1187. He doesn’t want to cause a massacre like the crusaders had done a century before and Christian residents get the opportunity to buy their freedom. If they don’t, the will become slaves.
European fury
The conquest of Jerusalem by Saladin causes a violent reaction in Europe. A second crusade is conjured and another motivated and religious army travels eastward. The army is commanded by three of Europe’s most important kings: Richard the Lionheart of England, Philip II of France and Frederic Barbarossa of the German Empire. En route, Barbarossa dies and Richard and Philip start to argue. Philip leaves and takes his men with him and the English king travels on to Palestine with a strongly reduced army. When he arrives he reconquers some of the cities, including port town Akko, but the Muslim defense of Jerusalem is too much for Richard the Lionheart. In the end, he concludes a treaty with sultan Saladin and Christian pilgrims are once again allowed to visit the holy sites of Jerusalem.
Saladin and the English king get along well and there is a mutual respect between them. The Muslim leader turns out not to be the barbarian that everyone in Europe makes him out to be. When Richard the Lionheart is ill, Saladin even sends his own doctor over to the English king. This was a good thing, because they had a much bigger knowledge of medicine in the Middle East than in Europe at that time. The men get in touch personally on a regular basis, but when Saladin suddenly dies, the English king returns to his country. The cities that are still under European rule make up the kingdom of Jerusalem, even though Jerusalem itself was no longer part of it. The kingdom exists until 1291, mostly theoretically though. European power is waning and in the end the kings of Jerusalem stay and live in Europe: they leave the local government over to bailiffs.
Saladins army
Crusaders on the game board
We have got crusaders at the museum as well. The silver colored Christians (first picture) are taking on the gold colored Saracens with their sabers (see left picture). Always a winner, whether it comes to precious metals or the reign of the Holy City.
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