The Knights Templar were a Catholic military order founded in 1119, during the era of the Crusades.

Their full name was the Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon.

Their original purpose was to protect Christian pilgrims traveling to the Holy Land after the First Crusade.

They were a unique order of warrior-monks, taking vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience.

The Templars grew rapidly in power and wealth, receiving donations from across Christendom.

They established a large international infrastructure and are credited with creating an early form of banking, allowing pilgrims to deposit assets in Europe and withdraw them in the Holy Land.

As an elite fighting force, they played a crucial military role in the Crusader States.

After the fall of the last Crusader stronghold in 1291, the Templars lost their primary mission.

In 1307, King Philip IV of France, who was deeply in debt to the order, had all the Templars in France arrested on charges of heresy.

The order was officially suppressed by the Pope in 1312, and its dramatic fall has led to centuries of legends and conspiracy theories.