This was reversed back again when Jerusalem fell to Saladin eighty years later. In the years that followed, a crusader kingdom was established with the Al Aqsa mosque and Dome of the Rock converted from Muslim to Christian use. A contemporary chronicle claimed that the massacre perpetrated by crusaders against the populace was at such a level that blood splashed up from the streets on to the knights’ stirrups. Jerusalem had been taken by Christian forces in the First Crusade – in the year 1099. I begin Quest for the True Cross with the siege of Edessa in full swing and two unscrupulous thieves using the tumult to steal the True Cross from a church in the city. The unsuccessful defence of the city was led by its Latin archbishop Hugh who was either trampled to death by his own fleeing flock or killed by the Seljuks as they stormed the city’s fortifications. The city had been the capital of the County of Edessa, one of the first Christian kingdoms established after the First Crusade. This city is now in modern Turkey – which is appropriate as it was the Seljuk Turks who drove the crusaders out of Edessa on Christmas Day in 1144. I’ve been to all of them (barring one) and can guarantee – they are fascinating places. Here’s a great idea for a Templar holiday this year – visit all the Templar hotspots mentioned in my book Quest for the True Cross. Wondering what to do for your Summer holiday with Coronavirus likely to keep us in our home countries? Well, if you live in Europe or the Middle East – you could go and visit some Templar hotspots!
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