did the europeans during the middle ages expand into asia minor or africa?

Question

which one?

Answer 1

During the early Middle Ages both asia minor and north africa were settled by europeans and these territories were also Christian lands for several centuries. Most of north africa (Egypt, Cyrenaica) and asia minor (Turkey, Syria and Iraq)was ruled by the (Eastern) Roman Empire aka Byzantium. That was Greek/ Roman culture and a de facto continuation of the Roman Empire.
The western part of the african mediteranean coast (former Roman provinces of Mauretania Tingitana, Mauretania Cesarensis, mauretania sitifensis, Numidia (black province, present day western Algeria) Africa Proconsularis (ex-Carthage), Byzacena, Tripolitania, was settled by (european) Visigoths and Vandals. The Vandal kingdom (today's Tunisia) and part of the Visigoth kingdom (todays Algeria, Morocco, Mauretania and southern Spain)was reconquered by Rome/Byzantium (general Belisarius).
After the Isalmic/Arab invasions there were few organised attempts at common defense, and even less attempts to recover the lost territories. Frankly there was little left to recover- with the exception of Egypt, the rest of the mediteranean coast of Africa became completely barren and de-populated. Even today the ruins of ex-roman Leptis magna - city built for some 200 000 people- house maybe 2 thousand inhabitants. Most of the life centered in the coastal cities and the main occupation appers to have been piracy slave raids and slave trade.
The only major attempt to recover these lost lands were the crusades (1097). Around 1180 there was an attempt to establish a direct trade route from the Kingdom of Jerusalem (port of Akaba) to Ethiopia and the Indies, but that was crushed by Saladin.
In Spain the Reconquista movement stopped at the straits of Gibraltar (but they got there in 1492- a bit later than your question covers)
also 1497 is the expedition of Vasco da Gama and the establishment of trading and supply posts in East Africa (Mombasa, Zanzibar) and Asia (Muscat, Calcutta)

Answer 2

Neither one.

The Muhamedians (Moslems) were victorious in 5 out of 6 of the Holy Crusades and prevented the European expansion into Asia Minor or northern Africa.

The northern european caucasian was prevented from expanding into central Africa thanks to the tse-tse fly and the malaria it carried, plus a dozen other tropical diseases. The European caucasian did not venture into deepest darkest Africa until the mid-19th (1850s) century.