El asedio de Jerusalén fue un asedio que tuvo lugar entre el 7 de junio y el 15 de julio de 1099 durante la Primera Cruzada. Los cruzados lograron penetrar y conquistar la ciudad santa de Jerusalén que estaba en manos del califato fatimí de Egipto.
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00:00In the 11th century AD, a monumental conflict broke out over the control of the Holy Land.
00:06The Christians were under threat. The Pope asked for a crusade in the name of God.
00:13The objective was the conquest of Jerusalem.
00:18But were the Christian knights really fighting only for their faith?
00:25The so-called Holy War against the Muslims will continue for two centuries.
00:31Crusade to Jerusalem.
00:35Jerusalem, June 1099. The crusaders arrive at the city walls.
00:42For the first time, these self-proclaimed armed pilgrims,
00:50dazzle their final destination.
00:54They have been traveling for three years.
01:00Many thousands of crusaders had left for the Holy Land with a number ten times larger.
01:07Only a third of them had reached the Holy City.
01:13For now, all the difficulties seem to have been forgotten.
01:19The Pope promised all the crusaders the remission of their sins,
01:25and they went to the aid of their Christian brothers in Palestine,
01:31and they liberated the sacred places of Muslim domination.
01:38Commanders like Raimundo de Toulouse and Godofredo de Bullón
01:42have a burning desire in common.
01:47They are determined to restore the Christian dominion in the Holy Land,
01:54especially over Jerusalem and the tomb of Christ.
01:58According to contemporary belief, this was the land of the Lord and his legacy.
02:04Jerusalem had been ruled by Byzantine Christians for centuries.
02:09In 638, the city was conquered by the followers of Muhammad.
02:14Muslim rule was essentially tolerant of Jews and Christians,
02:18but in the 11th century there had been repeated attacks against Christian pilgrims.
02:23The crusaders want to put an end to this situation.
02:28News of the siege reaches Damascus, 240 kilometers north.
02:39The Muslim erudite Al-Sulami wants to receive latest information from the Christian army.
02:45What do you want?
02:48A messenger informs him that the Christians are attacking Jerusalem.
02:53They carry crosses and pray to God to invoke his help, and they are very numerous.
02:58They have surrounded the city, praying and singing, and they ask God for help.
03:02They are many, sir.
03:04Al-Sulami is convinced that the attack of the European Christians is not an ordinary campaign.
03:15He realizes that they have not only come to loot, but to wage war, in the name of God.
03:22The siege of Jerusalem is in its fifth week.
03:25There are no negotiations for a peaceful surrender.
03:29The defenders of Jerusalem have powerful weapons to avoid a breach in the city's walls.
03:35The Greek fire consists of burning oil that cannot be extinguished with water.
03:41The Christians have no choice but to fight.
03:47The Greek fire consists of burning oil that cannot be extinguished with water.
03:57The leader of the Crusaders, Godfrey of Bouillon, knows that his knights are being pushed to their limits.
04:11Many of his men die outside the city walls.
04:17They will go straight to paradise, or so the Crusaders believe.
04:23Soon you will be with God. Intercede for us.
04:27If Jerusalem is taken by the Christians, the Muslims will lose one of their most sacred places.
04:33They will also look bad in the eyes of Allah.
04:36According to the Islamic law of war, the territories conquered by the Muslims should never be lost.
04:42In the 11th century, the Islamic empires extend from India to Spain.
04:47The Holy Land and Asia Minor, previously ruled by Byzantine Christians, have been conquered step by step.
04:54When the Christians of the East ask the Christians of the West for help,
04:58the Pope of Rome takes the initiative while he is visiting a city in France.
05:05It is the year 1095.
05:09It is the year 1095, in Clermont, four years before the siege of Jerusalem.
05:15In a passionate speech, the head of the Catholic Church will call a crusade against the Muslim conquerors.
05:22It is the Pope, Urban II.
05:29In November 1095, the successor of St. Peter gathers more than 200 bishops of France, Italy and Spain.
05:36The culminating point of the papal synod is a ceremonial service.
05:46Several thousand believers, including nobles and gentlemen, have responded to the Pope's call.
05:52The competition is so great that the service is carried out in a meadow, outside the cathedral.
05:57Urban paints a panorama of intimidation and threats.
06:07Appeal to the faithful and their brothers and sisters in Christ.
06:11The infidels are stealing the territories of the Christians.
06:15Many of them are murdered or deported, without mercy.
06:23The churches are set on fire, and Jerusalem has been devastated.
06:28The Christian Byzantium is in danger.
06:31It is the duty of every Christian to go to the aid of his brothers in the East.
06:37The term brothers and sisters refers to the Byzantine Eastern Church.
06:41In reality, at that time, Christianity is deeply divided between Catholic Christians and Orthodox Christians, whose center is Constantinople.
06:51Since the Seljuk Turks expelled the Byzantines from Asia Minor, the Christian world feels threatened.
06:57The nomadic riders constitute the new great force of the Islamic world.
07:02As they advance, local Christians and pilgrims who go to the Holy Land are attacked.
07:12The Seljuks also threaten the capital of the Byzantine Empire, Constantinople.
07:18The metropolis of Bosphorus was in the past the center of power of the Christian world.
07:22It is the reason why the Byzantine Emperor Alejo has repeatedly asked the Pope for help in the fight against the Seljuks.
07:29In the summer of 1095, he writes to Urban II.
07:33His letter does not go unnoticed.
07:42Any type of military protection.
07:45Alejo asks the Pope Urban II.
07:48for military support against the Muslims, to save his empire and all Christianity.
08:02In Clermont, the Pope places the call for Byzantine aid in the center of his sermon.
08:10According to Urban, he is attacking the Christians of the East.
08:14They are being enslaved and the men and women are being slaughtered.
08:18Muslim pagans have reached the gates of Constantinople.
08:21All Christians are urged to support their Christian brothers of the East.
08:27If you do not stop them, they will also end up subduing us.
08:37The Pope, evidently, gave a very effective sermon.
08:41Full of great gestures and very well argued.
08:45No, I'm not the one who catches it, it's God.
08:48The Pope insists that it is God himself who is asking all Christians to take the cross and go to war against non-believing Muslims.
08:56Expel those unworthy infidels.
09:04An assistant to the synod.
09:06Bishop Lamberto de Arras writes a story about the Pope's speech in Clermont.
09:11Describes how Urban promotes the campaign to the Holy Land.
09:17Those who march to Jerusalem for reasons of piety, not to earn honor or money,
09:22can expect heavenly rewards.
09:29After the speech, those present burst into a carousel.
09:33They embroidered cloth crosses on their clothes to show that they had taken the cross for the love of God.
09:40According to ancient sources, they shouted,
09:43this is the will of God.
09:47God wants it.
09:51God wants it.
09:55God wants it.
09:58God wants it.
10:01God wants it.
10:07Urban declares the liberation of the Holy Land a penitential pilgrimage.
10:12He wants to unite Christians divided under one banner.
10:16The power of the Church must reign over the secular power.
10:20The Pope will be the protector of all Christianity.
10:23The true representative of Christ on earth.
10:27Urban's plan worked, perhaps better than he expected.
10:32The response was massive.
10:35When the participants in the council returned to their dioceses,
10:39they made sure that the news of the Pope's call spread throughout the region.
10:45The Christian pastors call for a crusade to Jerusalem,
10:48the land of the children of the Israelites.
10:52Bishops and preachers announce the Pope's message in their churches.
10:56Itinerant preachers take him to the field.
11:00There is no doubt that Urban II touched the sensitive fiber of the time.
11:05There is no other way to explain the mass movement.
11:08Hundreds of thousands, guests or uninvited, are on their way.
11:14Everywhere Christians are asked to liberate Jerusalem, in the name of God.
11:21Fanatic monks assume the responsibility of promoting the crusade in the name of Christ.
11:26People go to them in masses.
11:29They are invited to the mass.
11:32They are invited to the mass.
11:34They are invited to the mass.
11:47Urban has not exactly the knights requested by Byzantine, or the warriors of God I had in mind.
11:52It is an improvised army, without a plan, of a total of 15,000 people.
11:58The so-called Crusade of the poor
12:01It was a reaction to the advertising for the crusade
12:06that the itinerant preachers and others
12:11took to the north of France,
12:15to the Netherlands and to Rhenania.
12:20This army of plebeians does not want to wait until the day of departure marked by the Pope.
12:26Some nobles also want to leave immediately.
12:30The desire to achieve salvation was shared by rich and poor alike.
12:37It seemed to be an increasing concern in the 11th century.
12:42The notion of penance for personal sins in order to redeem oneself.
12:51It is a time of fear at the end of the world and the final judgment,
12:55but also of hope in salvation.
13:01To fight for the honor of Christ.
13:04To take revenge on any dishonor that may have been caused to him.
13:09These are beliefs that had gained ground in the 11th century
13:16and that paved the way for the surprisingly powerful reaction.
13:24The so-called People's Crusade crosses cities like Spira,
13:28which are shopping centers along the Rhine.
13:31They house numerous Jewish communities.
13:34Suddenly they are in danger.
13:39In the High Middle Ages, many Jewish communities had established themselves in obituary cities
13:45such as Colonia, Maguncia, Worms or Spira.
13:49The Jews played a preponderant role in the economic growth of these cities.
13:56As merchants and lenders, the Jews played an important role in the medieval economy.
14:02They pay taxes to the emperor and receive in return his protection.
14:06At least, in theory.
14:10We know that many of the participants in the First Crusade were not nobles or rich gentlemen,
14:16but people without resources.
14:18The attack on Jewish communities was an easy way for them to get rich.
14:26The Jewish neighborhoods of several cities are attacked.
14:29A systematic manhunt begins.
14:32Despite the official protection of the emperor and the local bishops,
14:36the authorities fail to avoid looting and mass execution of Jews.
14:41About 5,000 people are victims of the pogroms of 1096.
14:47The Jews were portrayed as the descendants of the murderers of Christ.
14:52It may sound cynical, but the people of the time believed that they would please God
14:57if they attacked the so-called infidels or pagans in their country.
15:02But this particular crusade also has suicidal qualities.
15:06Most of the crusaders are poorly armed and very poorly prepared for a massacre.
15:12Few participants in the Crusade of the Poor will arrive in Jerusalem.
15:27This makes it more important for the clergy and the high nobility
15:31to make sure that they are well prepared.
15:36In the castle of the Duke of Baja Lorena,
15:38preparations are made for the long journey to the unknown.
15:42Sewing crosses on the clothing for the march to Palestine
15:45is also a symbol of a new beginning.
16:05One of the people to give the step is Godofredo de Buillon.
16:09The Duke is impressed by the spirit of the monasteries.
16:14They are places of contemplation at a time when many are waiting for the coming of the Lord.
16:21It is said that wearing a knight's suit is like wearing a monk's tunic.
16:27Previously, Godofredo had paid little attention to the advice of the Pope
16:32and was not reluctant to mundane temptations.
16:35However, he is full of doubts in these times of spiritual turbulence.
16:40He decides to follow the Pope's call to the Holy Land.
16:44His brothers Eustachio and Baldwin join him.
16:49Are you ready, Godofredo?
16:51It's going to be a long trip.
16:53Godofredo is aware of the dangers that lie ahead.
16:56If he dies on the way to Jerusalem,
16:58he wants to be buried with the mantle of the Crusader
17:01who wears the cross of Christ embroidered.
17:06Leave it.
17:07Take care of your business.
17:13Nobody knows if any of them will return.
17:16As they prepare for the trip, they also liquidate their goods.
17:31I have engaged our castle with the bishop of Liege.
17:34You have sold our castle?
17:36It was prudent to sell the castle of the family.
17:40The brothers and sisters of the bishop of Liege
17:43agree that they will not return.
17:52Why are we going back?
17:54They will find their own sacred kingdom in the Holy Land.
17:57A Christian kingdom.
17:59God wants it.
18:01God wants it.
18:08It is the will of God.
18:10This is the Pope's motto
18:12when he declares that the campaign to Palestine is a holy war.
18:17Many are willing to follow his call
18:19in search of salvation,
18:21but also in search of fame, glory, power and wealth.
18:28The personal motivations that trigger
18:30the beginning of the 200-year period of the Crusades
18:33are full of contradictions,
18:35but many people participate
18:37at all levels of society and throughout Europe.
18:47Finally, hundreds of thousands of people embark on the dangerous journey.
18:52Rich and poor,
18:53gentlemen and nobles,
18:55gentlemen and workers,
18:57peasants and urbanites,
18:59men and women.
19:02The summer of 1096 marks the beginning
19:04of the greatest military effort of the Middle Ages.
19:10Tens of thousands of Crusaders,
19:12mostly French and Germans,
19:14follow three different routes.
19:16Through Italy,
19:17bordering the Adriatic
19:19and crossing the mountain range of the Balkans.
19:21Their first common destination,
19:23the path of the Holy Land,
19:24is Constantinople.
19:28Since the 4th century AD,
19:30the city has been the capital of the Byzantine Empire
19:32and the metropolis of all Orthodox Christians.
19:37It was here that Emperor Alejo
19:39wrote his call for help to the Pope Urban.
19:42Finally, the Crusader army is near.
19:47Alejo expects the Pope to send him
19:49some units of mounted mercenaries
19:51that will later be placed under his command.
19:55Instead,
19:56a huge army has reached the doors of the city walls,
19:59which poses a threat to the capital.
20:05Alejo urges Godofredo and the Crusaders
20:07to sow fear among their people,
20:09to appropriate anything they need
20:11and to act like thieves and robbers.
20:16He brings the Crusaders without care.
20:20But they do take into account the Emperor's requests.
20:23Alejo wants the leaders of the Crusade
20:25to swear loyalty to him
20:27and return all the territories
20:29conquered by Byzantium.
20:35The Emperor insists.
20:37He demands a oath of loyalty.
20:48The Crusaders have already sworn loyalty to the Pope.
20:51Alejo does not care.
21:00I will not allow you to continue the journey.
21:04Only if you swear loyalty to him,
21:06the Emperor of Byzantium
21:08will grant you permission to cross the Bosphorus.
21:12No ship will pass without my consent
21:14and in no case yours.
21:22It is your choice.
21:30The leaders of the Crusade give in,
21:32at least for now.
21:40Let's go.
21:41Our destination is Holy Land.
21:44They have no choice but to reach Holy Land.
21:52The oath of loyalty of the Crusaders
21:54has been coerced.
21:58Later, they will not return any conquered territory,
22:01but they will try to establish their own kingdoms
22:03in Holy Land.
22:05The fraternal aid to Byzantium
22:07is overshadowed by imperial rivalry.
22:11But there is still a long way to Jerusalem.
22:14On the route to their final destination,
22:16the Crusaders find a strong resistance
22:18by the Seljuks Turks.
22:20In Dorilea, the first Crusade
22:22is in danger of being annihilated.
22:26The troops of Sultan Kilic Arslan
22:28attack one of the units
22:30of the Crusader armies.
22:34From a distance,
22:36the Seljuk archers shoot the Christian warriors.
22:40The Muslim ruler has 50,000 men
22:42under his command.
22:44The situation of the defenders
22:46seems desperate.
22:48Thousands of Crusaders die in the narrow valley,
22:50but Christian messengers
22:52have been sent in search of help.
23:02The reinforcements arrive just in time.
23:04Godfrey of Bouillon and his cavalry
23:06attack the attackers from the rear.
23:10They tilt the balance in their favor
23:12and obtain a key victory
23:14on the way to Jerusalem.
23:18Godfrey,
23:20the popular and respected leader
23:22of the Crusades,
23:24erects wooden crosses
23:26along the route
23:28to show the way
23:30to future pilgrims.
23:34But how do Muslims react
23:36to the advance of the Franks,
23:38a name that these Europeans
23:40who speak Latin receive?
23:42Only a few realize
23:44that the Crusade is different
23:46and that the objective
23:48is looting and pillaging.
23:54The Islamic erudite Al-Sulami
23:56explains the difference
23:58in the Great Mosque of Damascus.
24:06The spiritual leader of the Franks
24:08has called a crusade
24:10against the Muslims.
24:12It is a campaign
24:14in the name of faith,
24:16according to Al-Sulami,
24:18similar to an armed jihad.
24:24They want to get to Jerusalem,
24:26not as pilgrims of peace
24:28for prayer,
24:30but as armed warriors.
24:32Many Muslims
24:34feel outraged
24:36because foreigners eat pork
24:38and drink alcohol.
24:40They want to expel all Muslims
24:42from the holy city
24:44and enslave them.
24:46The Crusaders fight
24:48in the name of God
24:50and in the name of the cross.
24:52They believe they will be rewarded
24:54with paradise.
24:56They are determined
24:58to wage war
25:00against the Muslims
25:02by any means.
25:04But for Al-Sulami
25:06and his people,
25:09the Crusaders have been traveling
25:11for three years.
25:13Many have died in combat
25:15or have succumbed to illness and exhaustion.
25:17Some have founded new settlements
25:19along the way.
25:21Less than a third of the original army
25:23reaches its longed-for destination,
25:25Jerusalem.
25:29While preparing to attack
25:31the fortified city,
25:33many expect to obtain salvation
25:35as a reward.
25:37They celebrate mass and sing
25:39psalms and songs of praise
25:41while the Crusaders prepare
25:43to assault the city walls.
25:57The procession in front of the gates
25:59of Jerusalem,
26:01shortly before the attack on the city,
26:03says a lot about the mentality
26:05of the Crusaders
26:07and the vision they had of themselves.
26:11The defenders of Jerusalem,
26:13the Fatimids of Egypt,
26:15are surprised by the Christian rituals.
26:17It is evident that the Crusaders
26:19are not ordinary conquerors.
26:21They saw themselves
26:23and so some sources show it,
26:25such as the New People of Israel.
26:27They followed the tradition
26:29of the Old Testament.
26:31But Godfrey of Bouillon
26:33knows that prayers
26:35will not be enough
26:37to tear down the city walls.
26:45The defenders are superior in number.
26:47However, the Crusaders
26:49consider the attack on the Holy City
26:51a divine mission.
26:55They surrounded the city
26:57three times in a process of purification.
26:59This is how they cleaned themselves.
27:11The Muslim defenders
27:13also invoke the help of Allah.
27:19The Christians have little water and food.
27:21Many Crusaders have fallen ill.
27:23The time has come to attack.
27:25We have to attack.
27:27I think he's right.
27:31They also lack wood
27:33to build the siege machines.
27:35The only thing they have been able to gather
27:37are two assault towers.
27:39They will have to settle for that.
27:41Mother of God,
27:43may the Lord help us.
27:45In the name of the Father,
27:47the Son and the Holy Spirit.
27:49None of their previous battles
27:51has been fought in such adverse conditions.
27:53The beginning of the conquest
27:55was very difficult.
27:57The Crusader army
27:59had been significantly reduced in number.
28:01And Jerusalem was a large
28:03and well fortified city.
28:05Organizing a classic siege
28:07in which the city was subdued
28:09by hunger was a very complicated business.
28:11And the Christians knew
28:13that the Muslim defenders
28:15of the city
28:17would have asked for reinforcements.
28:19They assumed that an Egyptian
28:21would not have much time.
28:25The attack on Jerusalem
28:27has begun.
28:29It is July 15, 1099.
28:31The defenders use
28:33devastating weapons
28:35against their attackers.
28:43Greek fire, as it is known,
28:45makes it difficult
28:47to climb the walls of the city.
28:49Do not fall back, men!
28:51God wants it!
28:53Come on!
28:55Everyone up!
28:57Fast!
29:01As the attackers are outnumbered,
29:03they direct the attack towers
29:05towards some sections of the city walls.
29:07With one of the siege towers,
29:09the Duke of Baja Lorena and his men
29:11manage to position themselves
29:13at a short distance from the city walls.
29:15Finally, the troops
29:17under the command of Godofredo de Buillon
29:19achieve their goal.
29:21It seems that Godofredo was in the tower,
29:23but contrary to what is written
29:25sometimes, he was not the first
29:27to reach the city wall.
29:29There were two of his followers.
29:39Despite suffering numerous casualties,
29:41the Duke and his men
29:43charge against the Almenas.
29:47A few crucial minutes
29:49will be decisive
29:51for the defeat or victory
29:53of the Crusaders.
29:59The fate of the sacred city,
30:01both for Muslims
30:03and for Christians,
30:05hangs by a thread.
30:09Both sides trust in their faith
30:11and hope to receive the help
30:13of their God.
30:17For both religions,
30:19peace is sacred.
30:25But for the faithful of both sides,
30:27war is a way to defend
30:29their own true religion
30:31against enemies
30:33and unbelievers.
30:37However, Christians have declared
30:39their own crusade against Muslims,
30:41a holy war,
30:43ordered by God.
30:47This triggers
30:49the bloodiest religious war
30:51the world has ever seen.
30:57And it turns the battle
30:59for Jerusalem
31:01into an orgy of violence.
31:09What happened later
31:11inside the city
31:13was a massacre.
31:15The population was exterminated,
31:17Jews and Muslims alike.
31:21At the same time,
31:23the leaders of the crusade
31:25tried to secure
31:27the important enclaves
31:29of the city.
31:33The massacre in the narrow streets
31:35of Jerusalem
31:37was absolutely horrible.
31:41There was no respect
31:43for the elderly.
31:49Even the Christian witnesses
31:51did not hide what was happening.
31:59Immediately after
32:01crossing the walls,
32:03the gentlemen threw themselves
32:05into the streets and public places.
32:07All the enemies they encountered
32:09were stabbed.
32:11Everything was covered in blood.
32:15The news of the fall of Jerusalem
32:17spread like a shower of gunpowder.
32:21The Franks have killed
32:23everyone in Jerusalem.
32:25It was a real massacre.
32:27They spent several days
32:29killing everyone they found.
32:33Al-Sulami considers the Franks
32:35wild beasts.
32:3730,000 people die,
32:39including the Jewish residents
32:41of the city.
32:43Even the local Christians
32:45are murdered,
32:47accused of collaborating
32:49with the Muslims.
32:53Memories of the bloody
32:55siege of Jerusalem
32:57exert a permanent pressure
32:59on the relations between
33:01the two religions.
33:03One of the most common reasons
33:05to explain the thirst for blood
33:07that the Crusaders showed
33:09during the capture of Jerusalem
33:11in 1099
33:13was their inability to control
33:15their religious enthusiasm
33:17as a result of the prolonged
33:19efforts and tensions
33:21of the trip.
33:25But the real reasons
33:27behind the Crusades
33:29may have played
33:31an important role.
33:33If we examine
33:35the reports on the
33:37proclamation of the Crusade
33:39of Pope Urbanus,
33:41we discover that in it
33:43he called for revenge
33:45against the non-believers
33:47who had occupied and,
33:49in his opinion,
33:51desecrated the holy places
33:53of Christianity.
33:55Shortly after the conquest
33:57of the Holy City,
33:59the first king of Jerusalem
34:01will be crowned.
34:03But there are certain reservations
34:05since it was here where Christ
34:07had carried the crown of thorns.
34:09Instead, the conqueror
34:11accepts the title of protector
34:13of the Holy Sepulchre.
34:15He renounces the throne
34:17but not the claim of power.
34:19He has saved us from the wrath
34:21of our enemies.
34:23In the name of the Father,
34:25the Son and the Holy Spirit.
34:27However,
34:29the reign of Godfrey
34:31does not last long.
34:33He will die a year after
34:35the conquest of Jerusalem
34:37being buried in his favorite place,
34:39the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
34:41His legacy
34:43will not remain intact.
34:45Can the Muslim forces
34:47accept that this sacred ground
34:49is taken away from them forever?
34:51After the conquest of Jerusalem
34:53by the Christian forces,
34:55the Muslims were astonished.
34:57What was to be done?
34:59The Muslim world was divided.
35:01How should they react to the capture
35:03by the Christians
35:05of one of the most important
35:07Arab cities?
35:09In Damascus,
35:11Al-Sulami draws conclusions
35:13from recent events.
35:15Why has Allah denied us victory?
35:17Allah is testing us.
35:19According to Al-Sulami,
35:21God uses the defeat of the Muslims
35:23They have sinned,
35:25they have disobeyed their orders,
35:27and they have disputed among themselves.
35:29They have not been able to defend
35:31the Holy Land.
35:33Only in the event that the Muslims
35:35overcome their divisions
35:37and fight arm in arm,
35:39the enemy will be defeated.
35:41If we fight together,
35:43we can defeat our enemies.
35:45Al-Sulami
35:47is an interesting figure.
35:49He is not only
35:51a religious scholar
35:53who sometimes gives sermons
35:55in Damascus.
35:57He is also
35:59one of the few contemporaries
36:01of the time
36:03who understands
36:05that Christian military expeditions,
36:07whether in Sicily,
36:09the Iberian Peninsula,
36:11or the Near East,
36:13have religious motives.
36:17At least this is what he writes
36:19in a treaty on the Jihad
36:21that he wrote
36:23based on his conclusions.
36:27In his book, Kitab al-Jihad,
36:29Al-Sulami describes the attack
36:31against Jerusalem as an attack
36:33against Islam.
36:35There were calls,
36:37mainly among the Muslim erudites,
36:39to the unity of the Muslim world
36:41and to the expulsion
36:43of the Christians of Jerusalem.
36:45But it took time
36:47before they were heard.
36:49Islam was now being used
36:51as a political instrument.
36:57It will take several decades
36:59before a Muslim force
37:01is able to reconquer Jerusalem.
37:03Towards the end of the twelfth century,
37:05an experienced warlord
37:07turns his goal declared
37:09the expulsion of the Christians
37:11of the Holy Land.
37:13His name, Saladin,
37:15is now the Sultan of Egypt.
37:17He not only recovers the land
37:19lost in Palestine.
37:21In 1187, he also forces
37:23Christians to leave the Holy City.
37:27Saladin trusts in the power
37:29of his faith.
37:31He convinces the high cleric
37:33to declare the fight
37:35against the Crusaders.
37:37A Jihad.
37:39Buried in a large mausoleum
37:41in Damascus,
37:43is the Muslim Jihad
37:45comparable to the Christian Crusades?
37:51The Crusades and the Jihad
37:53are often equated.
37:57Although the experts
37:59in the Middle East and Islam
38:01have clearly shown
38:03that the Jihad is based
38:05on a much broader concept.
38:09Not only to promote military campaigns
38:11such as the Crusades,
38:13but also the spiritual advance
38:15of Islam.
38:23The fall of Jerusalem triggers
38:25new Crusades.
38:27But all Christian attempts
38:29to reconquer the Holy City
38:31end in failure.
38:33The German emperor,
38:35Frederick II of the Staufer dynasty,
38:37chooses a different path
38:39He renounces the sword,
38:41knowing that he cannot
38:43conquer Jerusalem by force.
38:45During negotiations
38:47with the Sultan Al-Kamil
38:49of Cairo,
38:51there is a compromise.
39:03There will be peace
39:05for ten years, five months
39:07and 40 days, as the Muslim calendar
39:09commands.
39:19In this truce between Christians
39:21and Muslims, Jerusalem,
39:23Bethlehem and Nazareth
39:25are supervised by Christians.
39:27Frederick II has achieved
39:29his goal without bloodshed.
39:37Thanks to his education,
39:39Frederick is different
39:41from other European kings.
39:43He grew up in Palermo,
39:45a melting pot of cultures.
39:47His royal palace is a meeting point
39:49for Byzantines, Italians,
39:51Arabs and Germans.
39:53Both for Christians
39:55and for Muslims.
40:01The cultural exchange
40:03between the representatives
40:05of the different religious communities
40:07began, apparently,
40:09early.
40:11It is well documented
40:13regarding material culture,
40:15including architecture
40:17and confection,
40:19as well as music,
40:21literature and poetry.
40:23Also everyday objects
40:25and luxury items.
40:27All this
40:29makes it clear
40:31that the Crusaders brought
40:33elements of material culture
40:35from the Islamic world
40:37to the Christian world.
40:41Arab technology
40:43was clearly superior to European.
40:45For example,
40:47the fruitful supply of fresh water
40:49to the cities that were
40:51surrounded by arid land.
40:53It was the precondition for economic
40:55growth and prosperity.
40:59Works of art,
41:01science and literature
41:03were also outstanding.
41:05There are new publications,
41:07research and experimentation
41:09in the fields of physics,
41:11mathematics, medicine
41:13and astronomy.
41:15The exchange between the East
41:17and the West
41:19produces a unique flow
41:21of knowledge.
41:23But the memories
41:25of the religious war
41:27are usually more powerful
41:29than common memories.
41:31For 200 years,
41:33Christian knights
41:35remained in the Holy Land.
41:37Hundreds of thousands of people
41:39died in the Crusades.
41:41Christians, Muslims and Jews.
41:45The result of the Crusades
41:47is ambivalent,
41:49although the events of the time
41:51were marked by violence.
41:53Violence that emanates
41:55mainly from Christians,
41:57was not part of the historical context.
42:01The Seleucids had blocked
42:03the route of pilgrims
42:05from Europe to Palestine,
42:07so that Christians
42:09do not use violence
42:11in a totally arbitrary way.
42:13The Crusades were part
42:15of a history of centuries
42:17of conquest and counter-conquest.
42:19Powerful fortresses still give testimony
42:21of old battles.
42:23They were considered
42:25the most important
42:27and shaped the relations
42:29between the two religions
42:31for many centuries.
42:33The historical memory of the Crusades
42:35was rescued during the period
42:37of European colonialism.
42:39Especially during the 19th and 20th centuries,
42:41the stories of the Crusades
42:43were resurrected and updated.
42:45As a result,
42:47they are still very alive today.
42:51Not only for some Muslims,
42:53the period of the Crusades
42:55has not yet come to an end.