Part 3/8:
In the 7th century AD, an Arab conquest ushered in the spread of Islam, marking Jerusalem as a holy city for Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. During the ensuing centuries, Christians faced persecution at the hands of the Seljuk Turks, prompting European Christians to launch the Crusades to reclaim the holy city. Many Jews were killed during this turbulent period or forced into pilgrimage across Europe.
From the 16th century until the end of World War I, the Ottoman Empire ruled the region, during which time the area was informally referred to as Palestine. The late 19th century saw the emergence of Zionism, a movement aimed at creating a Jewish national state in Palestine, leading to significant Jewish immigration back to the region.