According to Christians, the land where Jesus lived, preached, was crucified, and resurrected was the Holy Land.

During the European Middle Ages, Muslims gained control of the Holy Land.

At first, Muslim rulers allowed Christian pilgrims to visit the Holy Land.

However, by the early eleventh century, Muslim rulers were less accommodating of Christian pilgrims entering the Holy Land.

By 1095 A.D., Pope Urban II called for a Crusade. A crusade was a holy war or a war for religion.

A series of holy wars were fought between Christians and Muslims for control of the Holy Land.

For over two hundred years, Christians fought. But ultimately, Muslims kept control of the Holy Land. After all of the fighting and all of the suffering, the land remained in the hands of Muslim rulers.

Yet the Crusades greatly changed European history.

Cultural diffusion greatly increased as Western European Crusaders learned new ideas and received new products from the Muslims of Southwest Asia or the Middle East.

Western Europeans gained access to many Muslim ideas and inventions.

It is important to remember that during the European Middle Ages, Islamic civilization experienced a golden age or a time of great achievements.

Historians frequently refer to the Crusades as “successful failures”. Crusaders did not permanently gain control of the Holy Land but received important ideas, ideas that furthered progress.

But while Europeans greatly benefited from new ideas and knowledge, many people were killed during the Crusades and religious intolerance and mistrust increased.