Muslim rule and the Crusaders in Jerusalem

In 638, the city came under Muslim control following conquest by Caliph Umar I.

The Dome of the Rock and the Al Aqsa Mosque were soon constructed on the Temple Mount, with the Dome of the Rock standing on the site of the First and Second Temples.

The Seljuks, a Turkish dynasty, ruled Jerusalem harshly in the 11th century and continued to expand, especially toward Europe.

In response to this expansion and Turkish control of places sacred to Christianity, Pope Urban II called the first of the Crusades, asking Christians to travel to the Middle East and fight to reclaim the Holy Land, especially Jerusalem.

The Crusaders, led by Godfrey of Bouillon, captured Jerusalem in 1099, and the city became the capital of the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem.

The Crusaders slaughtered many of the Muslim and Jewish residents and ruled with great cruelty until Saladin captured the city again for the Muslims in 1187.

In 1517 Jerusalem was taken by the Ottomans, who ruled it until the 20th century (see Ottoman Empire).

During the period of Muslim control, the city was always part of a broader territory, ruled from distant imperial capitals.

Its economic fortunes fluctuated, but, in keeping with its marginal political status, the city was often poor and neglected.

Its population grew slowly; estimates for the beginning of the 19th century are of fewer than 10,000 people.

Much of the growth came from Jewish pilgrims who settled in the city, and by the mid-19th century Jews were once again the majority.

As the population grew, there was increased pressure on the housing capacity of the Old City.

Jews began to build neighborhoods outside the Old City’s walls, and nearby Arab villages expanded.