Final answer:
The Byzantines lost control of the Holy Land to the Muslims, following invasions and conquests by the Rashidun Caliphate and later the Umayads in the seventh century, which marked a significant shift in the region's control.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Byzantines lost the Holy Land primarily to the Muslims, which is evident from historical accounts detailing the challenges they faced in the seventh century. The Byzantine Empire suffered invasions by both Persians and Arabs during this period, resulting in a substantial loss of territory. The initial wave of conquests by the Rashidun Caliphate and subsequent Islamic dynasties, such as the Umayads, significantly reduced Byzantine control in the Middle East. It was during this time that cities, which were once under Byzantine rule, became part of the expanding Islamic state.
Despite the military defense and some early successes in halting the advance of the Arab-Muslim forces, the Byzantine Empire could not maintain control over the territory of the old Roman East, which included the Holy Land. Consequently, the long-term impact was a transformation of the region's religious and cultural landscape as it came under Muslim rule.
Furthermore, during subsequent periods, the struggle for control over the region continued with events such as the Crusades, where Christian forces attempted to reclaim the Holy Land from Muslim control, demonstrating the enduring significance of these early conquests by Muslim powers over the Byzantines.