▁Tur ks , ▁migr ating ▁south ▁from ▁the ▁Turk ic ▁hom el ands ▁in ▁Central ▁Asia . ▁They ▁conquer ed ▁Pers ia , ▁Ira q ▁( capt uring ▁Bag hd ad ▁in ▁ 1 0 5 5 ), ▁Sy ria , ▁Palest ine , ▁and ▁the ▁He j az . ▁Egypt ▁held ▁out ▁under ▁the ▁F at im id ▁cal i ph s ▁until ▁ 1 1 6 9 , ▁when ▁it ▁too ▁fell ▁to ▁the ▁Tur ks . ▁ ▁Despite ▁massive ▁territorial ▁losses ▁in ▁the ▁ 7 th ▁century , ▁the ▁Christian ▁By z antine ▁Empire ▁continued ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁pot ent ▁military ▁and ▁economic ▁force ▁in ▁the ▁Mediter rane an , ▁prevent ing ▁Arab ▁expansion ▁into ▁much ▁of ▁Europe . ▁The ▁Sel ju q s ' ▁defeat ▁of ▁the ▁By z antine ▁military ▁in ▁the ▁Battle ▁of ▁Man zik ert ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 1 th ▁century ▁and ▁sett ling ▁in ▁An atol ia ▁effectively ▁marked ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁By z antine ▁power . ▁The ▁Sel ju ks ▁ruled ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁Middle ▁East ▁region ▁for ▁the ▁next ▁ 2 0 0 ▁years , ▁but ▁their ▁emp ire ▁soon ▁broke ▁up ▁into ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁smaller ▁s ultan ates . ▁ ▁Christian ▁Western ▁Europe ▁st aged ▁a ▁remarkable ▁economic ▁and ▁dem ographic ▁recovery ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 1 th ▁century ▁since ▁its ▁nad ir ▁in ▁the ▁ 7 th ▁century . ▁The ▁fragment ation ▁of ▁the ▁Middle ▁East ▁allowed ▁joined ▁forces , ▁mainly ▁from ▁England , ▁France , ▁and ▁the ▁emer