Eastern Mediterranean cities in the period of the Crusades (1096-1131)

This study focuses on the political, social, and economic activities carried out by the Crusaders in Eastern Mediterranean cities between 1096 and 1131, and addresses the role of Italian maritime states such as Venice, Genoa, and Pisa in these activities. During and after the First Crusade, Crusader States were established in Edessa, Antioch, Jerusalem and Tripoli. The Crusaders tried to seize Eastern Mediterranean cities that had important ports in order to gain political and commercial influence, expand their dominance on the East, and control the region. Italian maritime states helped them in this regard and in a short time, important port cities of the Eastern Mediterranean such as Haifa, Arsuf, Caesarea, Acre, Tripoli, Beirut, Sidon, and Tyre came under the domination of the Crusaders. The capture of the Eastern Mediterranean cities has brought great benefits to the Crusaders, both politically and economically. It became quite easy for the Crusaders, who established a connection with Europe through the sea through these cities, to get help from the West. This aid provided a great power to the Crusaders in the capture and defense of Eastern Mediterranean cities. This power gained by the Crusaders caused the authority of the Fatimids in the region to be shaken and their mobility to be restricted, resulting in putting the Byzantine Empire in a difficult situation and moving away from the Eastern Mediterranean. At the same time, the commercial possibilities of the Eastern Mediterranean valuable port cities enabled the Crusaders to develop economically as well. Italian maritime states that supported the Crusaders with sea power for the seizure of the cities of the Eastern Mediterranean also settled in the region with the privileges they obtained, and they had rights in the Eastern Mediterranean trade. The commercial activities carried out by the Italian maritime states in the region enabled Eastern Mediterranean cities to become centers of East-West trade in a short period of time and added great value to the ports of these cities. Commercial activities that were realized through the Eastern Mediterranean ports also played an important role in reshaping Europe's socioeconomic structure by providing the transfer of Eastern culture to the West. Keywords: Crusades, Eastern Mediterranean, Middle East, Acre, Tripoli, Tyre, Venice, Genoa