Jerusalem
Jerusalem is one of the oldest cities in the world located east of the Jordan River in the Judean Mountains and is a holy city to three of the world’s major religions- Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. It has drawn the continuous attention of the world community, especially among the adherents of the monotheistic religions mentioned, due to its religious centrality that has generated its historical and political significance. In order to understand the current outlook of the holy city in Islam, it is imperative to analyse the time period of the First Crusade and the events leading to it.
The period of Frankish rule in Jerusalem is not a long one when compared to other periods in the history of the city. It consists of two distinct phases, the first one extending from the conquest of the city in the 11th century at the end of the First Crusade, until the Ayyubid occupation by the end of the 12th century. These two periods of Frankish rule together amount to little more than a hundred years. In terms of the physical changes that took place in this short span of time, we can place Crusader Jerusalem among the important periods in the history of the city. In appearance, the Old City of Jerusalem is still essentially a medieval city. It was the holiest of Christian cities, containing as it still does, a multitude of pilgrimage sites.
Jerusalem is situated in the watershed of the Judean Mountains and is located in an area of limestone and chalk that serve as its principal building materials. The present-day Old City, enclosed within its sixteenth-century walls, covers the same area as Crusader Jerusalem. The Siloam Spring is the only natural source of water, a factor that would have limited the development of the region but was resolved by artificial solutions such as open reservoirs and aqueducts.
The Frankish conquest of Jerusalem in the last year of the 11th century, with the consequent slaughter and the banishment of the surviving population, almost left the city
The period of Frankish rule in Jerusalem is not a long one when compared to other periods in the history of the city. It consists of two distinct phases, the first one extending from the conquest of the city in the 11th century at the end of the First Crusade, until the Ayyubid occupation by the end of the 12th century. These two periods of Frankish rule together amount to little more than a hundred years. In terms of the physical changes that took place in this short span of time, we can place Crusader Jerusalem among the important periods in the history of the city. In appearance, the Old City of Jerusalem is still essentially a medieval city. It was the holiest of Christian cities, containing as it still does, a multitude of pilgrimage sites.
Jerusalem is situated in the watershed of the Judean Mountains and is located in an area of limestone and chalk that serve as its principal building materials. The present-day Old City, enclosed within its sixteenth-century walls, covers the same area as Crusader Jerusalem. The Siloam Spring is the only natural source of water, a factor that would have limited the development of the region but was resolved by artificial solutions such as open reservoirs and aqueducts.
The Frankish conquest of Jerusalem in the last year of the 11th century, with the consequent slaughter and the banishment of the surviving population, almost left the city
Bibliography: 1. Boas, Adrian J. Jerusalem in the Time of Crusades: Society, Landscape and Art in the Holy City under Frankish Rule. London: Routledge, 2008. Print. 2. Murray, Alan V. The Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem: A Dynastic History 1099-1125. Oxford: Prosopographica Et Genealogica, 2000. Print.