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61-523: The Portuguese Reconquista involved the participation of north European crusaders passing through Portuguese coasts en route to the Holy Land , such as Englishmen , French, Flemings , Normans and Germans , most notably at the conquest of Lisbon in 1147, but also in 1142, 1154, 1189, 1191 and 1217. Many settled in Portugal at the invitation of king Afonso I or his son and successor Sancho I . While

122-596: A Muslim force under the command of Ismar attacked Leiria in 1140 and once again razed it. The Muslims then marched on Portugal and raided the territory as far as Trancoso , but in the end were repulsed. Once peace was signed with Emperor Alfonso VII of Leon after the Battle of Valdevez , Afonso Henriques marched south with his men, crossed the Douro river close to Lamego, and routed the Muslims at Trancoso, which he expelt from

183-607: A beginning of the terraced gardens there. The Head of the religion after him, Shoghi Effendi , began building other structures and the Universal House of Justice continued the work until the Bahá'í World Centre was brought to its current state as the spiritual and administrative centre of the religion. Its gardens are highly popular places to visit and Mohsen Makhmalbaf 's 2012 film The Gardener featured them. [REDACTED]  This article incorporates text from

244-592: A passage about Musa ( Moses ) proclaiming to the Children of Israel : "O my people! Enter the Holy Land which Allah has destined for you ˹to enter˺. And do not turn back or else you will become losers." The Quran also refers to the land as being 'Blessed'. Jerusalem (referred to as Al-Quds , Arabic : الـقُـدس , 'The Holy') has particular significance in Islam. The Quran refers to Muhammad 's experiencing

305-523: A publication now in the public domain :  Singer, Isidore ; et al., eds. (1901–1906). "Palestine, Holiness of" . The Jewish Encyclopedia . New York: Funk & Wagnalls. 870 Year 870 ( DCCCLXX ) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar , the 870th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations,

366-531: A relatively numerous host. When they attempted to attack the Portuguese camp set upon a hill however, the Portuguese sallied out to meet them on the open field and routed them with a heavy cavalry charge. On the day of the Battle of Ourique, Afonso was acclaimed as king by his men in the old Germanic fashion, by being raised atop his shield. Henceforth he signed always as "rex". After the Battle of Ourique,

427-674: A time when the Almoravid emir Yusuf Ibn Tashfin sought to annex all the small taifa stats in the peninsula, the emir of Badajoz offered to become a tributary vassal and to hand over the cities of Lisbon , Sintra and Santarém to the Emperor of Leon in exchange for military protection. The Emperor was in Coimbra on April 22, 1093, and on the occasion confirmed the charter of privileges of this city. Lisbon, Sintra and Santarém were then occupied between April 30 and May 8, 1093. Soeiro Mendes

488-468: A wide land-range including Syria and Lebanon , especially the cities of Tyre and Sidon ; Az-Zujaj describes it as " Damascus , Palestine, and a bit of Jordan "; Muadh ibn Jabal as "the area between al-Arish and the Euphrates "; and Ibn Abbas as "the land of Jericho ". This overall region is referred to as " Ash-Shām " ( Arabic : الـشَّـام ). The holiest places for Baháʼí pilgrimage are

549-740: Is further used twice in the deuterocanonical books (Wisdom 12:3, 2 Maccabees 1:7). The holiness of the Land of Israel is generally implied by the Tanakh's claim that the Land was given to the Israelites by God, that is, it is the " Promised Land ", an integral part of God's covenant . In the Torah , many mitzvot commanded to the Israelites can only be performed in the Land of Israel, which serves to differentiate it from other lands. For example, in

610-569: Is guaranteed entrance to the World to Come ". A story says that when R. Eleazar b. Shammua' and R. Johanan HaSandlar left Israel to study from R. Judah ben Bathyra , they only managed to reach Sidon when "the thought of the sanctity of Palestine overcame their resolution, and they shed tears, rent their garments, and turned back". Due to the Jewish population being concentrated in Israel, emigration

671-492: Is like being buried under the altar." The saying "His land will absolve His people" implies that burial in Israel will cause one to be absolved of all one's sins. For Christians , the Holy Land is considered holy because of its association with the birth , ministry, crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus , whom Christians regard as the incarnation of God and the Messiah . Christian books, including many editions of

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732-745: The Isra and Mi'raj as "Glory be to the One Who took His servant ˹Muḥammad˺ by night from the Sacred Mosque to the Farthest Mosque whose surroundings We have blessed, so that We may show him some of Our signs". Ahadith infer that the "Farthest Masjid" is in Al-Quds; for example, as narrated by Abu Hurairah : "On the night journey of the Apostle of Allah, two cups, one containing wine and

793-814: The Kaaba in the Hijazi city of Mecca , following a revelation to Muhammad by the Archangel Jibril . The current construction of the Al-Aqsa mosque , which lies on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, is dated to the early Umayyad period of rule in Palestine . Architectural historian K. A. C. Creswell , referring to a testimony by Arculf , a Gallic monk, during his pilgrimage to Palestine in 679–82, notes

854-557: The Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh and the Shrine of the Báb , which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the coastal cities of Acre and Haifa , respectively. The Baháʼí Faith 's founder, Bahá'u'lláh , was exiled to Acre Prison from 1868 and spent his life in its surroundings until his death in 1892. In his writings he set the slope of Mount Carmel to host the Shrine of the Báb which his appointed successor 'Abdu'l-Bahá erected in 1909 as

915-697: The Templars , but also the Order of Calatrava and Hospitallers to a lesser degree. The threat of Muslim raids also prompted the creation of the Portuguese Navy , the oldest in the world still in operation. While the Count of Portugal was a major vassal of León, at the time of independence, the economy of Portugal was relatively underdeveloped, and there was no mint in the country. The capture of spoils or extraction of tribute provided momentary income but it

976-591: The Umayyad Caliphate of Damascus, invaded the Iberian peninsula then controlled in its entirety by the Visigothic Kingdom . The Visigoths and their king, Roderic , were defeated at the Battle of Guadalete and from that moment on the peninsula was quickly captured by Muslims forces, which included Arabs and Berbers, in about two years thereafter. Eleven years later Pelagius revolted against

1037-648: The 19th century, the Holy Land became the subject of diplomatic wrangling as the holy places played a role in the Eastern Question which led to the Crimean War in the 1850s. Many sites in the Holy Land have long been pilgrimage destinations for adherents of the Abrahamic religions , including Jews, Christians, Muslims, and Baháʼís . Pilgrims visit the Holy Land to touch and see physical manifestations of their faith , to confirm their beliefs in

1098-550: The Almoravids landed at Montemor-o-Velho and proceeded to sack the outer suburbs from there, capturing and killing people. The Portuguese once more sought refuge behind the walls of Coimbra, where the regent-Countess Teresa could be found at this time. The city was subjected to almost daily assaults beginning in late June, but the Almoravids were unable to capture Coimbra. After 20 days Ali Ibn Yusuf withdrew to Seville in early July. Keeping Coimbra would have proven difficult for

1159-535: The Almoravids withdrew south. This same year the Almoravids captured Mallorca , the last independent taifa state in Iberia, thus bringing the entirety of the Andaluz under their authority. Coimbra was attacked in 1117 by the Almoravid emir Ali Ibn Yusuf at the head of a large army which included both Africans as well as Andalucians, "as many as the grains of sand of the sea" according to one source. On this occasion

1220-513: The Almoravids. Thousands perished in the attack. The siege of Coimbra marked the height of Almoravid power in Iberia. After the successful defense of Coimbra, Teresa henceforth signed as "queen". In 1128, the Templars settled in Portugal after Teresa donated the Castle of Soure to the Order. The castle had been erected close to Coimbra in the second half of the 11th century by Sisnando Davides, on

1281-538: The Bible, often have maps of the Holy Land (considered to be Galilee, Samaria, and Judea). For instance, the Itinerarium Sacrae Scripturae ( lit.   ' Travel book through Holy Scripture ' ) of Heinrich Bünting (1545–1606), a German Protestant pastor, featured such a map. His book was very popular, and it provided "the most complete available summary of biblical geography and described

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1342-514: The Douro were then taken and resettled by order of Alfonso III of Asturias , such as Viseu , Lamego , and Anégia ( Gondomar ) where the Chapel of Nossa Senhora da Cividade now stands specifically. Lardosa, in the current parish of Rans ( Penafiel ) was seized in 882 by Muzara and Zamora, two Mozarabs most likely coming from the south. The Christian border progressed nearly 200 km south along

1403-464: The Land of Israel, "no land shall be sold permanently" (Leviticus 25:23). Shmita is only observed with respect to the Land of Israel, and the observance of many holy days is different, as an extra day is observed in the Jewish diaspora . According to Eliezer Schweid : The uniqueness of the Land of Israel is...'geo-theological' and not merely climatic. This is the land which faces the entrance of

1464-650: The Land of Israel, appears in the Hebrew Bible 154 times. The Talmud mentions the religious duty of populating Israel. So significant in Judaism is the act of purchasing land in Israel, the Talmud allows for the lifting of certain religious restrictions of Sabbath observance to further its acquisition and settlement. Rabbi Johanan said that "Whoever walks four cubits in Eretz Yisrael [the Land of Israel]

1525-591: The Muslim occupation in Asturias and in 722 defeated a Muslim force at the Battle of Covadonga , expelled the Muslim governor Munuza from the region and founded the Kingdom of Asturias . This kingdom gradually expanded across the mountainous north of the Iberian peninsula, capturing Leon and Galicia among other territories and it would be under the aegis of its kings that 146 years later Christian rule would reach

1586-568: The Quran and Islamic traditions, Al-Aqsa Mosque is the place from which Muhammad went on a night journey ( al-isra ) during which he rode on Buraq , who took him from Mecca to al-Aqsa. Muhammad tethered Buraq to the Western Wall and prayed at al-Aqsa Mosque and after he finished his prayers, the angel Jibril ( Gabriel ) traveled with him to heaven, where he met several other prophets and led them in prayer. The historical significance of

1647-508: The Tagus. Soeiro Fromarigues and the knight Miro Crescones were killed in action. The following year, Santarém was again besieged by an army led by Seyr. Lacking sufficient forces to resist effectively or sure relief, the city fell to the Almoravids and the county of Santarém was abolished. Count Henry died in 1112 and his wife Teresa took over as regent for their young son Afonso Henriques . New Almoravid attacks had been expected ever since

1708-461: The al-Aqsa Mosque in Islam is further emphasized by the fact that Muslims turned towards al-Aqsa when they prayed for a period of 16 or 17 months after migration to Medina in 624; it thus became the qibla ('direction') that Muslims faced for prayer. The exact region referred to as being 'blessed' in the Quran, in verses like 17:1 , 21:71 and 34:18 , has been interpreted differently by various scholars. Abdullah Yusuf Ali likens it to

1769-510: The banks of the Douro River , where the city and region of Portucale, now Porto , was located. During the reign of Alfonso III of Asturias , 157 years after the invasion of the Iberian peninsula by Muslims, the nobleman Vímara Peres seized Porto and its territory, then called Portucale, or Portugal, at a time when the head of royal guard of the Emir of Cordoba had revolted. Vímara Peres

1830-580: The beleaguered castle. Little resistance could thus be mounted by the western garrisons against the Portuguese king and his troops, who faced little resistance as they advanced. The Portuguese numbered about 800 to 1000 knights and 1600 to 2000 footmen, among spearmen and crossbowmen. On their way back they were intercepted by a Muslim force commanded by "Esmar", likely the governor of Cordoba Muhammad Az-Zubayr Ibn Umar at Ourique. The Muslim commander had gathered whatever forces could be collected from Beja , Badajoz , Évora , Seville and Elvas , thereby forming

1891-532: The capture of nearby Coimbra. Dom Sesnando had served in the Court of Cordoba and married the daughter of the last count of Portugal. The Emperor accepted the proposal and an expedition was prepared in December. After a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela that included the entire royal family, Coimbra was beset on January 20, 1064, and fell to Christian hands on July 9, 1064, after a six-month siege. Dom Sesnando

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1952-421: The city was weak enough to be taken by assault. The founding of Leiria was the first hostile act carried out by Afonso towards the Muslims. Torres Novas was also captured. Dom Paio Guterres was left as alcaide of Leiria and he launched so many successful attacks against the territory of Santarém that in 1137 the castle was assaulted and razed, with over 250 men among knights and footmen being killed. Torres Novas

2013-774: The coast, passing from the Douro River to the Mondego valley but inland the border ran northeast along the Estrela mountain range on the northern slope but probably did not exceed the Côa River to the east. The territory between the Douro and the Mondego remained in Christian hands for more than a century until the late 10th century campaigns of the notable vizier of Cordoba Almançor , in 986, 987, 995 and 997, which brought

2074-421: The death of Afonso V during the unsuccessful siege of 1028. São Martinho de Mouro ( Resende ), Travanca ( Santa Maria da Feira ), and Penalva do Castelo were also recaptured. In 1063, the Emperor carried out a large raid against the taifas of Seville and Badajoz , from which he began receiving tribute and in this same year the mozarabic lord of Tentúgal , Dom Sisnando Davides proposed to Emperor Ferdinand

2135-427: The death of Count Henry, however only in 1116 did an Almoravid army commanded by Abd al-Malik advance against Coimbra and its territory. The Almoravids massacred the garrison of the castle of Miranda do Corvo and captured the garrison of Santa Eulália, including its alcaide Diogo Galinha. The inhabitants of Soure abandoned their castle and sought refuge in Coimbra. Its outskirts were attacked and destroyed, after which

2196-520: The frontier back to the Douro river valley. Braga was sacked in 985 and two years later Almançor captured Coimbra, Seia , Viseu and Lamego . Civil-war broke out in the Caliphate of Cordoba in 1009 and this would ultimately result in the fragmentation of the Andaluz into several independent and rival emirates or taifa states, a circumstance which benefited the Christian kingdoms to the north. In 1028 Alfonso V of León sieged Viseu , however he

2257-559: The geography of the Holy Land by tracing the travels of major figures from the Old and New testaments." As a geographic term, the description "Holy Land" loosely encompasses modern-day Israel , the Palestinian territories , Lebanon , western Jordan and south-western Syria . In the Quran , the term Al-Ard Al-Muqaddasah ( Arabic : الأرض المقدسة , English: 'Holy Land' ) is used in

2318-655: The holy context with collective excitation, and to connect personally to the Holy Land. Researchers consider that the concept of a land made holy by being the "earthly dwelling of the God of Israel " was present in Judaism at the latest by the time of Zechariah (6th century BCE). Jews commonly refer to the Land of Israel as "The Holy Land" ( Hebrew : אֶרֶץ הַקוֹדֵשׁ Eretz HaKodesh ). The Tanakh explicitly refers to it as "holy land" in Zechariah 2:16. The term "holy land"

2379-550: The initial stages of the Portuguese Reconquista were marked by the participation of the upper aristocracy, as the frontier was steadily pushed further south initiative was yielded to minor nobles, town militiamen and peasant knights willing to go on lengthy campaigns. The final stages of Portuguese military effort in the south were mostly undertaken by the military Orders, most notably the Knights of Santiago and

2440-791: The location of the first Qibla before Kaaba in Mecca and the site of the Isra and Mi'raj event in Islam , and the site of the most revered pilgrimage sites in the Baháʼí Faith . The holiness of the land as a destination of Christian pilgrimage contributed to launching the Crusades , as European Christians sought to win back the Holy Land from Muslims, who had conquered it from the Christian Eastern Roman Empire in AD 630. In

2501-519: The modern states of Israel and Palestine . Jews , Christians , Muslims , and Baháʼís regard it as holy . Part of the significance of the land stems from the religious significance of Jerusalem (the holiest city to Judaism , and the location of the First and Second Temples ), as well as its historical significance as the setting for most of the Bible , the historical locale of Jesus' ministry ,

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2562-462: The other containing milk, were presented to him at Al-Quds (Jerusalem). He looked at them and took the cup of milk. Angel Gabriel said, 'Praise be to Allah, who guided you to Al-Fitrah (the right path); if you had taken (the cup of) wine, your Ummah would have gone astray'." Jerusalem was Islam's first Qiblah (direction of prayer) in Muhammad's lifetime, however, this was later changed to

2623-451: The possibility that the second caliph of the Rashidun Caliphate , Umar ibn al-Khattab , erected a primitive quadrangular building for a capacity of 3,000 worshipers somewhere on the Haram ash-Sharif. However, Arculf visited Palestine during the reign of Mu'awiyah I , and it is possible that Mu'awiyah ordered the construction, not Umar. This latter claim is explicitly supported by the early Muslim scholar al-Muthahhar bin Tahir. According to

2684-492: The road that connected Coimbra to Lisbon. After the Battle of São Mamede , Afonso Henriques took over the government of the county of Portugal. In 1135 founded the Castle of Leiria , roughly halfway between Coimbra and Santarém, defending an important road between the two cities. Its garrison was tasked not only with defending the access to Coimbra from the south, but also to attack Santarém and its surrounding territory, raiding fields, capturing persons, ambushing caravans until

2745-472: The site of the Temple , is considered especially significant. Sacred burials are still undertaken for diaspora Jews who wish to lie buried in the holy soil of Israel. According to Jewish tradition, Jerusalem is Mount Moriah , the location of the binding of Isaac . The Hebrew Bible mentions the name " Jerusalem " 669 times, often because many mitzvot can only be performed within its environs. The name " Zion ", which usually refers to Jerusalem, but sometimes

2806-512: The spiritual world, that sphere of existence that lies beyond the physical world known to us through our senses. This is the key to the land's unique status with regard to prophecy and prayer, and also with regard to the commandments. From the perspective of the 1906 Jewish Encyclopedia , the holiness of Israel had been concentrated since the sixteenth century, especially for burial, in the " Four Holy Cities ": Jerusalem , Hebron , Safed and Tiberias – as Judaism 's holiest cities. Jerusalem, as

2867-405: The summer of the following year he crossed the river Douro from Zamora and entered Portugal. Between 1055 and 1063 the emperor captured the castle of Seia on the slopes of the Estrela mountain range; the castle of Tarouca ; Lamego on November 29, 1057; the castle of Marialva ; Viseu was recaptured on July 25, 1057, the attack on this city having been encouraged by the spirit of retaliation after

2928-427: The territory between the river Minho and Mondego. In 1102, count Henry defeated a Muslim force at the Battle of Arouca , together with Egas Moniz . In 1110 Count Henry dispatched the adail Soeiro Fromarigues to Santarém with a number of troops to reinforce the city against the almoravids, who threatened the southern frontier. These forces were however attacked while encamped at Vatalandi, an unknown location close to

2989-475: The territory. A few months later in 1093 still, the Almoravid general Seyr landed in Iberia with a numerous army and orders to annex Badajoz, Lisbon, Sintra and Santarém. Badajoz was attacked in the Spring of 1094. The emir of the city along with his children were assassinated and the city taken before Raymon could intervene. Count Raymond gathered a force at Coimbra along with the Bishops of Santiago and Lugo and many Galician knights however upon marching out he

3050-415: The territory. On his way back from this campaign he founded the Monastery of Tarouca. Holy Land The Holy Land is an area roughly located between the Mediterranean Sea and the eastern bank of the Jordan River , traditionally synonymous both with the biblical Land of Israel and with the region of Palestine . Today, the term "Holy Land" usually refers to a territory roughly corresponding to

3111-405: The thirteenth century. The expansion of Portugal was vital to the legitimization of Afonso I as an independent sovereign, with the Papal decree Manifestis Probatum acknowledging Afonsos efforts in the reconquest of territory back to Christendom as "manifestly proven" and his claims to the title of king as worthy of recognition. In 711, a Muslim army commanded by Tariq ibn Ziyad , belonging to

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3172-421: Was abolished and Portugal lost its autonomy. In 1090, Raymond of Burgundy married the daughter and heir of Emperor Alfonso VI and later received the title of count of Galicia with authority over all the territory in the west of the peninsula from Galicia to Coimbra. The mozarabic count of Coimbra Martim Moniz de Ribadouro was sacked from his position and relegated to the minor governorship of Arouca . At

3233-444: Was attributed the city and the region as Count of Coimbra , a position which he would hold until his death in 1091. When Emperor Ferdinand died in 1065, his realm was divided among this three sons and Garcia received the Kingdom of Galicia with the counties of Portugal and Coimbra. Six years later, Count Nuno Mendes of Portugal revolted but was defeated and killed at the Battle of Pedroso . The title and office of Count of Portugal

3294-463: Was generally prevented, which resulted in a limiting of the amount of space available for Jewish learning. However, after suffering persecutions in Israel for centuries after the destruction of the Temple, Rabbis who had found it very difficult to retain their position moved to Babylon , which offered them better protection. Many Jews wanted Israel to be the place where they died, in order to be buried there. The sage Rabbi Anan said "To be buried in Israel

3355-477: Was granted broad privileges and the territory began to be settled by families belonging to the high nobility, few in number and related to royalty. The capture and occupation of territory continued and in 870 Braga was settled and its territory was organized under the personal guidance of Vímara Peres. In the same year, São Miguel do Paraíso ( Guimarães ) was taken over by Lucídio Vimaranes , son of Vimara Peres. Still in 870, São Tomé de Negrelos ( Santo Tirso )

3416-406: Was killed in the action by a crossbow bolt shot from the walls. On October 14, 1034, Gonçalo Trastamires da Maia reconquered Montemor-o-Velho , thus bringing the border to the Mondego river. In 1054, Emperor Ferdinand I of León prepared a military campaign in Tierra de Campos with the intention of recapturing the territories which had been lost to the Muslims in the west of the peninsula. In

3477-735: Was largely unreliable. Defensive needs motivated the settlement and economic development of the territory and this in turn provided the means for further expansion. Religious Orders such as the Cistercians led the way in agricultural development through a system of granges worked by lay brothers who enabled them to maintain agricultural and cattle enterprises of a sophistication and scale previously unheard of in Portugal. The military Orders later adopted similar economies and scale and introduced notably sophisticated methods of production, irrigation and fortification. As Islam receded, Portuguese cities became steadily more prosperous and larger, with signs of an international Portuguese maritime trade appearing by

3538-416: Was lost. A Portuguese force was also wiped out close to the banks of the River Nabão, modern-day Tomar River. Leiria was later recaptured. After the Treaty of Tuy was signed and peace sealed with Emperor Alfonso VII of León, king Afonso Henriques led a major raid in Muslim territory. The moment was well selected as the Leonese had laid sieged Oreja and the Almoravids would have been preoccupied with aiding

3599-402: Was occupied by Flomarico and his wife Gundila, as well as by Scelemondo with his wife Astragundia. Count Odoário seized Chaves in 872, and from this city the process of capture and resettlement of the mountainous Trás-os-Montes began, first in and around the fertile lands of the Chaves valley. The city of Coimbra was seized by Count Hermenegildo Guterres in 878. Other locations south of

3660-417: Was routed in battle and forced to return to Christian territory. Lisbon and Sintra surrendered to the Almoravids in 1094. Besieged by Almoravid forces, Soeiro Mendes, resisted vigorously in Santarém until Seyr withdrew to north Africa. Count Raymonds lack of capacity against the Muslims dictated his loss of prestige at the Leonese Court. In 1096 his cousin Henry was made new Count of Portugal and attributed

3721-441: Was tasked with defending the territory as Count of Santarém. Mendes was subordinate to Raymond, tasked with defending all the territory from Galicia to the Tagus. The delivery of territory to Christians caused outrage among Muslims in Andaluz and the Maghreb and the residents of Santarém, Lisbon and Sintra requested the Almoravid emir Yusuf Ibn Tashfin to intervene on their behalf, shortly after Soeiro Mendes had taken possession of

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