Medieval Mediterranean Contacts: Chrétiens et Musulmans PDF

## 3. Les contacts entre chrétiens et musulmans en Méditerranée ### Quelles relations se nouent entre les mondes chrétiens et musulmans dans l'espace méditerranéen des VI-XIIIe siècles ? * **Au cycle 3** * J’ai étudié l’histoire des Gaules et les contacts, entre les Celtes, les Gaulois les Grec...

## 3. Les contacts entre chrétiens et musulmans en Méditerranée ### Quelles relations se nouent entre les mondes chrétiens et musulmans dans l'espace méditerranéen des VI-XIIIe siècles ? * **Au cycle 3** * J’ai étudié l’histoire des Gaules et les contacts, entre les Celtes, les Gaulois les Grecs et les romains durant l’Antiquité. * **Au cycle 4** * J’ai découvert deux empires chrétiens (Byzance et l’Europe carolingienne) et l’Empire musulman. * **Ce que je vais découvrir** * Entre le VIe et le XIIIe siècle, la Méditerranée devient un espace d’échanges et d’affrontements entre les chrétiens et les musulmans. #### Le sais-tu ? De nombreux mots français sont directement issus des échanges commerciaux entre le monde arabo-musulman et l’Occident chrétien. C’est le cas de bazar, magasin, douane, mousseline… **Image details:** * **Left image:** A medieval illustration depicts Louis IX of France embarking for the seventh crusade. * **Right image:** A miniature from the *Cantigas de Santa Maria* depicts a Christian and a Muslim playing a lute. ## Je me repère: Contacts et rivalités entre les mondes chrétiens et musulmans **Image details:** * **Left image:** A map of the Mediterranean in the 12th century. * **Right image:** A map of trade routes in the Mediterranean in the 12th century. **Image details:** * **Right image:** An illustration of the charging of goods in the port of Venice, late 13th century. **Image details:** * **Right image:** A map of the Mediterranean showing Venetian trade routes in the 13th century. **Image details:** * **Right image:** A schematic map of Constantinople in the 12th century displaying sites, religious buildings and neighborhoods in the city. ## La ville d'Acre vue par un musulman In 1184, Ibn Jubayr, a rich Muslim, journeys on a pilgrimage to Mecca, recording his experience. He describes Acre as the capital of the Franks in Syria, a bustling port frequented by many ships from all over the world, and a place similar to Constantinople in its importance as a hub for trade and commerce between Muslims and Christians. He notes that the city was conquered from Muslims by the Franks in the early 12th century and that mosques were converted into churches and minarets into bell towers. ## Privilèges accordés aux Pisans in Alexandria The text describes a letter between the vizier of the Fatimid Caliphate in Cairo and the city of Pisa in 1154. It grants the Pisan’s permission to freely conduct business and reside in Alexandria, even in the event of being captured by the Fatimid fleet, they will be released upon receiving a letter from the Pisan ambassador after being robbed only of their personal merchandise. ## The commercial empire of Venice, XI-XIIIe century A map shows the route of a Venetian merchant and the locations of Venetian trade centers, particularly in the Mediterranean. ## 4. L'avancée des sciences dans le monde musulman This section discusses the caliph Abd Allah Al-Mamun's efforts to procure knowledge, particularly ancient Greek texts, by sending emissaries to Byzantine emperors, exchanging gifts and receiving donations. He then commissioned translators and encouraged his people to study these works. ## Des traces de la présence musulmane in Andalousie (Spain) The Giralda Tower, the bell tower of Seville Cathedral is the former minaret of the Great Mosque of Seville built in the late 12th century. ## Les échanges culturels en Méditerranée ### Question clé: Comment se rencontrent les cultures chrétiennes et musulmane dans l’espace méditerranéen entre le VI et le XIIIe siècle ? ### 1. La traduction du Coran en latin Pierre le Vénérable (1092-1156), an abbot of Cluny, travelled to Toledo in 1142 and commissioned the translation of the Qur’an from Arabic to Latin. He hired specialists in Arabic language who translated the book into Latin, ensuring the fidelity of the translation by including one Arab scholar on the team. The team looked to the libraries in the Islamic world to find books for their translation. ### 2. L’influence des techniques et des arts orientaux The text describes the influence of Islamic architecture and artistic techniques on Western cultures in the 13th century, illustrated through a goblet with a Syrian design and a Venetian one. ## La découverte: Les croisades ### Question clé: Quelles sont les relations entre Chrétiens d’Occident et musulmans pendant les croisades? ### L’appel d’Urbain II à la croisade (1095) The text quotes a passage from *The History of the Pilgrimage of the Franks to Jerusalem* by Foucher de Chartres, written in the 12th century, discussing Pope Urban II’s appeal in 1095 for Christians in the west to come to the aid of Christians in the east, who are under attack from Turks and Arabs. He describes the urgency of the situation, the need for Christians to defend themselves against the aggressors who are killing and enslaving Christians, and the risk of further expansion by the Turks if they are left unchecked. The text emphasizes the absolution of sins for those who die during the pilgrimage. ### 2. Les chrétiens assiègent et prennent Jérusalem (1099) A miniature from the *Roman de Godefroy de Bouillon*, a 14th-century book housed in the BnF in Paris, illustrates the First Crusade, showing the siege of Jerusalem. The images depict a scene where Peter the Hermit encourages the crusaders, Godfrey of Bouillon points out the path for the assault, and the Muslims standing in the heart of the city. ### 3. Les relations entre communautés dans l'Espagne reconquise The text describes a charter granted by Alfonso I, king of Aragon, in 1119 to Muslims residing in Toledo after its capture. The document outlines several guarantees for Muslims, including a year to vacate their homes and relocate to the outskirts of the city, freedom to move to a Muslim land or elsewhere, the right to maintain their Islamic laws, and exemption from being compelled to join either Christian or Muslim armies for war. ### 4. La Reconquista en Espagne A 13th-century illustration from the library of the Escorial, Madrid, depicts a scene of combat between Muslims and Christians in Spain. ### 5. Des chevaliers chrétiens dans les États latins d’Orient The text discusses the changing identities of the crusaders, who are now more closely tied to their new lives in the East and have become a part of the local culture. They have acquired families and possessions, and they speak the local languages of the region. Some argue that having found wealth in the East, they have no reason to return to the West. ## Leçon: Les contacts entre chrétiens et musulmans en Méditerranée ### Quelles relations se nouent entre les mondes chrétiens et musulmans dans l’espace méditerranéen des VI-XIIIe siècles? ### A. Des affrontements: les croisades #### 1. Au XIe siècle, l’expansion des Turcs musulmans en Orient fait craindre aux chrétiens d’Occident de ne plus pouvoir se rendre en pèlerinage en Terre sainte. En 1095, le pape Urbain II lance la première croisade pour délivrer le tombeau du Christ. Les croisés s’emparent de Jérusalem (1099) et s’installent en Syrie-Palestine où ils créent les États latins d’Orient. En 1187 le chef musulman Saladin reprend Jérusalem. Les croisades de secours échouent et les États latins disparaissent. La quatrième croisade se termine à Constantinople où les croisés, éblouis par ses richesses, pillent la ville puis s’installent dans l’Empire byzantin. #### 2. En Espagne, les chrétiens se lancent à la reconquête des terres musulmanes, c’est la Reconquista. La victoire chrétienne de Las Navas de Tolosa (1212) marque le début de la reconquête de l’Andalousie. ### B. D’intenses échanges commerciaux #### 1. Le commerce est florissant autour de la Méditerranée. Jusqu’au XIe siècle, il est aux mains des Byzantins et des Arabes. #### 2. À partir du XIIe siècle, ce sont les villes italiennes qui tirent le plus d’avantages du commerce: Venise surtout, puis Gênes et Pise. Elles obtiennent le droit de créer des comptoirs, avant tout dans l’Empire byzantin, mais aussi dans les ports musulmans. Les marchandises orientales (épices, soie) sont très recherchées en Europe, ce qui assure leur richesse, visible dans les édifices que construisent les marchands. ### C. Des échanges culturels entre les civilisations #### 1. En Méditerranée, les échanges commerciaux et les expéditions militaires favorisent la rencontre des civilisations chrétiennes et musulmane. Les œuvres des savants de l’Antiquité gréco-romaine sont traduites en arabe et en latin. Le Coran est traduit en latin. Les Arabes diffusent leurs connaissances en mathématiques (utilisation du chiffre zéro) et en médecine. #### 2. Tolède, l’Andalousie, la Sicile sont les lieux où les civilisations de la Méditerranée sont les plus réunies. La tolérance permet aux fidèles des différentes religions (chrétiens, juifs, musulmans) de vivre ensemble en paix. Les œuvres d’art réunissent les influences byzantines, arabes, et occidentales. ## Je retiens autrement : **The Mediterranean: A Trade hub** * Extensive trade flows of luxury goods from Asia, Europe, and Africa * Mediterranean trade centers * The rise of Venice, Pisa, and Genoa **The meeting of the Christian and Islamic civilizations:** * Exchanges between scholars (translation of the holy book and ancient Greek texts) * Transfer of scientific knowledge from the Arabs * Artistic influences ## Je révise chez moi: * Make sure you know the main points of the chapter. * **Define and use in a sentence:** Crusade, Latin Kingdoms of the East, Reconquista, Entrepot * **Locate:** * on a timeline: * The time of the Crusades * The capture of Jerusalem by Christians * The translation of the Qur’an into Latin * on a world map: * The Christian and Muslim worlds * Spain, the Latin Kingdoms of the East, Constantinople, Jerusalem * **Explain:** * What the Crusades were about * The development of trade in the Mediterranean in the 12th and 13th centuries * The cultural exchanges between the Muslim and Christian worlds