Childrens Illustrated Encyclopedia

150

SULTAN SALADIN

Leader of the Muslim forces,

Saladin (1137-93) was a

great commander. As

sultan of Egypt and

Syria, he made Egypt

one of the most

powerful regions

in the Middle East.

THE CRUSADES

1096 First Crusade

(also known as the

People’s Crusade) sets

off. Many peasants die

on the way, though

knights survive.

1097 Crusaders arrive

in Constantinople

(now Istanbul).

1098 French and

Norman armies

capture Antioch.

1099 Crusaders

capture Jerusalem.

Divide coastal land

into four kingdoms.

1147-49 Second

Crusade attacks

Muslims in Spain,

Portugal, and Asia

Minor.

1187 Saladin

conquers Jerusalem

and most of Palestine.

1189 Third Crusade

sets off led by the kings

of England and France

and Frederick I, the

Holy Roman Emperor.

Frederick dies on

the way.

1191-92 Crusaders

capture Acre but

return to Europe.

1202-04 Fourth

Crusade sets off.

Crusaders capture

Constantinople and

steal treasure.

1217 Fifth Crusade

sets off. Crusaders

capture Damietta,

Egypt, but return it

and make a truce.

1228-29 Sixth

Crusade. Emperor

Frederick II makes

a 10-year truce.

1248-54 Seventh

Crusade. Louis IX

of France captures

Damietta but is

forced to return it.

1270 Eighth

Crusade. Louis IX

dies. This final

crusade returns

to Europe.

THE CHILDREN’S CRUSADE
In 1212, a tragic crusade
occurred when thousands of
Christian children set off on
foot from Europe to Jerusalem.
Most starved to death, or were
sold into slavery.

NINE CENTURIES AGO, the Pope appealed to

Christians to recapture the holy city of Jerusalem from

the Turkish Muslims who had seized it. Thousands of

European Christians—knights, princes, pilgrims, and

peasants—responded to the call and set out on a long

warring pilgrimage, called a crusade, from western Europe

to Palestine (now Israel). Four years later, after battles,

starvation, and disease, the surviving crusaders captured the

city of Jerusalem. The crusaders set up a Christian kingdom

on the shores of Palestine that lasted nearly a century.

In 1187, Saladin recaptured Jerusalem. At least seven more

crusades set out. None were successful, but relations between

Christians and Muslim worlds were long

poisoned by the memory of the Crusades.

Richard I sailed
from London.

THE THIRD CRUSADE

King Richard I of England (ruled 1189-99)
took part in the Third Crusade with the

king of France and the Holy Roman
Emperor. King Richard I

captured the port of Acre,
but was caught and held for

ransom on his return journey.
Ultimately, they failed to

take Jerusalem on this
crusade, but did make a truce

with Saladin allowing Christian
pilgrims to enter the city.

Philip of
France set
off from
Vezelay.

The Third Crusade made Richard I

popular in his own time and earned

him the nickname

“the Lionheart.”

Krak des Chevaliers

was the strongest

crusader castle.

ACRE BESIEGED

Huge wooden siege towers helped

the crusaders attack the city of Acre.

The defenders threw spears, hot

sand, and boiling

water on them.

JOURNEY TO JERUSALEM

The journey from Europe to the Holy

Land was long and dangerous, and

many of the crusaders died on the way.

Those who went back to Europe from

Palestine took silks and spices with

them, as well as Islamic learning such

as mathematics and astronomy.

Crusader

ship

Crusades

Vezelay

Acre

Verona

Regensburg

Constantinople

Find out more

Christianity

Islam