In 1095, Pope Urban II addressed the participants of a church council in Clermont, France. During the speech, Urban called upon the nobles of western Europe to travel to the east and help their fellow Christians, the Byzantines, against the Muslim Seljuk Turks. Urban also encouraged them to free Jerusalem, the holiest city in Christianity, from Muslim control. This is the name given to the wars fought by Christians on behalf of their religion. Although unsuccessful in the long run, the Crusades left a lasting impression on European and Middle Eastern history. (21 items, including study guide).