What were the causes, course, and consequences of the Crusades?
Córdoba Mosque and CathedralThe huge arches of the Great Mosque at Córdoba dwarf the cathedral built in its center after the city was conquered by Christian armies in 1236. During the reconquista (see “The Expansion of Christianity”), Christian kings often transformed mosques into churches, often by simply adding Christian elements such as crosses and altars to existing structures. (© dbimages/Alamy)
TTHE EXPANSION OF CHRISTIANITY in the Middle Ages was not limited to Europe but extended to the eastern Mediterranean in what were later termed the Crusades. Occurring in the late eleventh and early twelfth centuries, the Crusades were wars sponsored by the papacy to recover the holy city of Jerusalem from the Muslims.