Crusades

Beginning in the late 11th century, the crusades were a series of military expeditions mounted by western European Christians in a bid to conquer the Holy Land. The first was called in November 1095 by Pope Urban II and while there is some disagreement among historians as to which campaigns to consider ‘crusades’, it is undeniable that the movement had a profound impact on eastern and western cultures and societies

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Inside the Maya storyworld. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

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The Fifth Crusade: triumph, disaster and the battle for Egypt. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A medieval manuscript scene depicting three robed figures with pale, gaunt faces standing side by side. To their right, a hooded figure in a long robe lifts a club or staff in a striking pose. The background is plain parchment with several lines of Latin script written above the figures.

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It was medieval England's worst antisemitic massacre. Here's what happened next. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

This late 15th-century illustration shows crusader forces besieging Damascus during the ill-fated Second Crusade in 1148. The armies of King Baldwin III of Jerusalem, Emperor Conrad III of Germany, and King Louis VII of France converge on the city, only for the campaign to collapse in defeat. Likely produced in Bruges for a chronicle of the Crusades, the image reflects how later medieval artists interpreted one of the crusading movement’s most damaging failures.

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Who won the crusades? The causes, death toll, and number of medieval holy wars explained

Portrait of Saladin

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Saladin: a hero of Islam and scourge of the crusaders

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Leper Crusaders: how disease-stricken knights forged an army in the Holy Land. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

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Should we stop talking about the crusades?. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

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Dark knights and crusading criminals. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

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Video podcastSaladin: life of the week. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A crusader army led by French king Louis IX clashes with Ayyubid forces at Mansurah in 1250. Two centuries of warfare across the Middle East “drew a torrent of often dangerous young men into the region”, writes Steve Tibble. (Photo by Getty Images)

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Crusader criminals: why medieval knights went rogue in the Holy Land. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A colourful illustration showing crusaders storm Jerusalem using a huge siege tower

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The crusade against the odds: how the First Crusade succeeded despite the obstacles. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

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Video podcastBONUS | The First Crusade: wrapping up the story. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

The taking of Jerusalem by the Crusader

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The First Crusade: your ultimate guide

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The crusades explained... in 5 minutes. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

MedievalvideoThe big questions of the crusades

Illustration of the Children's Crusade of 1212, from the Story of the British Nation, Volume 1, by Walter Hutchinson, c1920 (Photo by The Print Collector/Print Collector/Getty Images)

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What was the Children’s Crusade, and did it actually happen?

MedievalvideoThe crusader statesWhat was life like?

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Crusader states: everything you wanted to know. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Illustration of King Richard I, on horseback, in the Holy Land, by Henry Justice Ford (Photo by The History Emporium / Alamy Stock Photo)

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What if...Richard the Lionheart had recaptured Jerusalem?. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

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Trading and crusading in the Middle Ages. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Richard the Lionheart and Saladin in mounted combat

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Richard the Lionheart: king of war. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Portrait of Saladin (1560) by Cristofano Dell Altissimo.

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Why does Saladin have such an enduring reputation?

Richard I on a Chertsey tile

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Does Richard I deserve his reputation as a martial genius?. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Melisende of Jerusalem

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Melisende of Jerusalem: the queen of a crusader kingdom

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Muslim-Crusader interactions: a clash of civilisations?. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

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Rebels, hostages and diplomats: royal women of the crusader states. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A medieval illustration of women fighting and toiling alongside men during a siege

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Crusader queens: the formidable female rulers of Jerusalem. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A fanciful engraving imagines Peter the Hermit presenting Pope Urban II (centre) with a letter from Simeon II

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Launching the First Crusade

The Varangian Guard as depicted in the illuminated 12th-century manuscript known as the Madrid Skylitzes. These Viking warriors became the Byzantine emperors' personal bodyguard

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What was the Varangian Guard? A brief history of the Viking warriors of the Byzantine empire

In 802 Charlemagne took delivery of an elephant, sent to him by Harun al-Rashid, the caliph in Baghdad. Here, a manuscript illumination from a late 12th century English Latin bestiary. (Image by Alamy)

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8 turning points in medieval European history. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

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