RISE OF THE KNIGHTS TEMPLAR

Originally founded by eight or nine comrades in either 1118 or 1119, and existing for over two centuries, the Knights Templar formed after the First Crusade of 1096-99 and became the most powerful and secretive military religious Order in history. Initially called the Order of the Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Jesus Christ and the Temple of Solomon – a name that was soon abbreviated to the Knights Templar – they were established to protect Christian pilgrims visiting sacred locations in the Holy Land and to defend the area from Muslim armies. As time passed, they expanded and diversified, growing into a vast and successful international organisation – until they were annihilated by a jealous and greedy king in the 14th century. In the centuries that have passed since their downfall, a huge amount of conjecture has developed about the Knights Templar, with romantic, sinister and mysterious legends emerging about them, many of which are controversial or elusive. These include theories about what they did, who they worshipped, what they were in possession of, what they believed in, their practices, and what happened to them after they disbanded in 1314. Not much can be verified, because when Jerusalem was taken by the Muslims in the late 13th century the Templars retreated to Cyprus, taking their archives with them. When the Turks took Cyprus in the 16th century these were probably destroyed.

THE FIRST CRUSADE

Since the 7th century, Muslim armies, that emerged originally from Arabia, had frequently attacked traditionally Christian territories, including parts of Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. Quickly and violently, these armies captured large tracts of land including several Christian holy sites. To halt these attacks and to win back lost lands, Christian leaders decided to retaliate. In 1054, after centuries of differences and disagreements, an East-West Schism occurred in which the Christian Church divided and separated into the Roman Catholic and the Eastern Orthodox Churches. However, within a short time, the Byzantine Empire, which was the centre of the Eastern Orthodox Church, fell into difficulties. In 1095, the emperor, Alexios I Komnenos (c.1056/57-1118), sent