Aim: Was Islam a genuine threat to Christian Europe?

Homework: Read, “The Crusades” by Teresa Eckford, and answer questions 1-5.

Background

• Seljuk Turks begin conquering land from the Byzantine Empire from around 650-1090

• This included the Christian Holy Land, Jerusalem

• Seljuks barred Christians from making pilgrimages to Jerusalem

• Byzantine emperor requests help from the West to hold off Seljuk Turks who were threatening to invade

A Call To Action

• In 1094 or 1095, Alexios I Komnenos, the Byzantine emperor, sent to the pope, Urban II, and asked for aid from the west against the Seljuk Turks, who had taken nearly all of Asia Minor (Anatolia, or modern day Turkey) from him. At the council of Clermont, Urban addressed a great crowd and urged all to go to the aid of the Greeks and to recover Palestine from the rule of the Muslims.

Group Activity

1. You will work with your neighbors in groups of four.

2. This packet tells a story about why the Crusades began.

3. Examine each document, and highlight or underline the key information found, therein.

4. Analyze the documents. Each one provides information for answering the questions that follow.

5. Together, the documents may help you to answer the question: “Was Islam a genuine threat to Christian Europe?”

6. Let’s get to work.

Muslim Invasions

Crusader Invasions