 Louis attempted a second crusade ( the Eighth Crusade ) in 1270 . The Mongol Ilkhanate leader Abaqa wrote to Louis IX offering military support as soon as the Crusaders landed in Palestine , but Louis instead went to Tunis in modern Tunisia . His intention was evidently to first conquer Tunis , and then to move his troops along the coast to reach Alexandria in Egypt . The French historians Alain <unk> and Jean Richard suggest that this crusade may still have been an attempt at coordination with the Mongols , in that Louis may have attacked Tunis instead of Syria following a message from Abaqa that he would not be able to commit his forces in 1270 , and asking to postpone the campaign to 1271 . <unk> from the Byzantine emperor , the Armenians and the Mongols of Abaqa were present at Tunis , but events put a stop to plans for a continued crusade when Louis died of illness . According to legend , his last word was " Jerusalem " . 
