Author Archives: Ruth

North Africa in the 14th century

Posted on January 27, 2018 by Ruth

North Africa’s Muslim story in the 14th century mostly stars a Moroccan dynasty we call the Marinids, after their founder whose first name was Marin. They were Berbers of the Zenata tribe, locked in long rivalry and conflict with other … Continue reading →

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The Alhambra Palace, 1333

Posted on January 27, 2018 by Ruth

In 1333, Emir Yusuf began to build the splendid palace that came to be known as The Red Fort, Qalat al-Hamra: the Alhambra. His reign and his son’s spanned most of the 1300s and established the palace that we tour … Continue reading →

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Game of Mamluk Thrones, 1290-1330

Posted on January 19, 2018 by Ruth

The Mamluks governed based on competence, in a time when governance was always based on inheritance. They didn’t come up with a framework for peaceful transfers of power or group selection of the leader. Instead, they functioned like a monarchy … Continue reading →

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The First Ottomans and the Last Ilkhan, 1302-1337

Posted on January 15, 2018 by Ruth

In 1280, a Turk named Osman became the Bey of Söğüt, Turkey, and over the next 20 years, he took control of neighboring tribes and towns. His son Orhan named the new group the “Osmanlı,” or as we would say … Continue reading →

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The Last of the Templars, 1307

Posted on January 15, 2018 by Ruth

By the end of the 13th century, the Order of Knights of the Temple had received so much property as charitable gifts that they were wealthier than many kings. A large number of their members were involved not in protecting … Continue reading →

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Mamluks vs. Mongols, 1299

Posted on January 15, 2018 by Ruth

I have it marked down as an important battle: the Third Battle of Homs in 1299, when the Mongols defeated the Mamluks after two previous losses at the same place. But when I look at it more closely, I’m not … Continue reading →

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Marco Polo and the Golden Ticket, 1299

Posted on January 15, 2018 by Ruth

We owe the first descriptions of Xanadu and Khanbalik (Beijing) to Marco Polo of Venice, whose book was published in 1299, co-written by Rusticello of Pisa. The book was quickly translated into many languages; the oldest manuscript we have is … Continue reading →

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The Ilkhan Turns Muslim, 1291-95

Posted on December 21, 2017 by Ruth

In 1291, the Mamluks finally captured Acre, the last outpost of the Crusader states. The Christian world didn’t know that they’d never take back any of that land, but in fact, they never would, until after World War I. At the … Continue reading →

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In Xanadu did Kublai Khan: the Yuans, 1271

Posted on December 11, 2017 by Ruth

“In Xandu did Cublai Can build a stately Pallace, encompassing sixteen miles of plaine ground with a wall, wherein are fertile Meddowes, pleasant Springs, delightfull streames, and all sorts of beasts of chase and game, and in the middest thereof … Continue reading →

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The Eighth and Ninth Crusades, 1270-2

Posted on December 4, 2017 by Ruth

The Mamluk Sultan Baybars had a field day in the Holy Land during the 1260s. War between Venice and Genoa had drawn the remaining Crusader towns into war with each other, exhausting the region one more time. Mamluk forces, which … Continue reading →

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