The town of Tyre was an important port on the Palestinian coast of the Fatimid Caliphate in the late 11th century. The town was located on a peninsula that a narrow strip of land linked to the mainland. Tyre was surrounded by impressive walls, but its burghers provided the crusaders with food when they invaded Palestine in May 1099, because the townspeople wanted to avoid an armed conflict with these fanatical Christians who had departed from Europe to Jerusalem in 1096. In two months, the crusaders captured Jerusalem. Pisan, Genoese and Venetian fleets supported them to conquer most Fatimid ports on the Western coast of the Mediterranean Sea during the next decade. Caesarea surrendered to them in 1101, Acre in 1104, Tripoli in 1109, and Beirut and Sidon in 1110.