Culteral Impact of the Middle Ages

The Crusades of the Middle Ages had many lasting effects on Europe. Some of the effects are highly visible such as the architecture left behind, which is some of the most awe inspiring buildings the world has ever seen. They brought Islamic Influence to architecture that was hypostyle consisting of rows and columns. The architecture influenced many great minds that would incorporate into structures like "The Great Mosque of Samarra" and "The Great Mosque of Kairouan". The crusades also had some other history changing effects like its effect on the European commerce having opened many new trade opportunities in the Middle East. Prior to the crusades, trades mainly took place within Europe. The Crusade routes allowed for interaction with diverse areas with routes by land and sea. From the first Crusade the route ended in the Middle East. Kings from many regions either knowingly or subconsciously sent military on the Crusades in hopes to return with goods. The stops until reaching Jerusalem were Paris, Lyon, Genoa, Rome, Brandusium, Constantinople, Edessa, and Antioch ("Crusaders ," ). This gave the Crusaders the opportunity for seeing and experiencing diverse cultures. Upon the return the goods introduced to Europe were from there highly desired and initiated trading relationship between the regions. However perhaps one of the most important effects the Crusades had was on Europe's culture. Prior to the Crusades Europe's customs and traditions were controlled strictly by the church papacy. The European soldiers' exposure to Islamic traditions and customs changed the traditional culture. Of course this culture revolution did not come about all at once in fact occurred gradually through all nine of the Crusades which spanned about two centuries. Not only did the crusade routes allowed for increased trade it also allowed for interaction with other societies which in turn allowed for the forming of alliances between groups. The Two centuries of the Crusades had lasting effects on Europe. One of the most important effects was the culture effect it had on Europe and its people.

References:

Crusaders . (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.middle-ages.org.uk/crusaders.htm