The “Battle of the Nile,” which didn’t really take place on the Nile but whatever, can be seen as the naval companion to the Battle of the Pyramids, which was fought 11 days earlier between French and Egyptian forces outside of Cairo and which, coincidentally, didn’t take place anywhere near any pyramids. It can also be … Continue reading Today in Middle Eastern history: the Battle of the Nile (1798)
Tag: history
Today (sort of) in Middle Eastern/European history: the Ottomans get started (1299, or 1302)
If you’ve read The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire–and, you know, who hasn’t–then you may know that Edward Gibbon marks July 27, 1299, as the date of the founding of the Ottoman Empire. It was on this date, according to Gibbon, that Osman I (d. 1326), the Ottomans’ founder and … Continue reading Today (sort of) in Middle Eastern/European history: the Ottomans get started (1299, or 1302)
Today in Middle Eastern history: the Battle of Abukir (1799)
Napoleon’s chances for a successful Middle Eastern campaign ended shortly after that campaign began, at the Battle of the Nile in early August 1798. We’ll talk about that battle and its repercussions later. But from Napoleon’s perspective, the British victory at the Battle of the Nile meant that he could no longer rely on offshore French … Continue reading Today in Middle Eastern history: the Battle of Abukir (1799)
Today in Middle Eastern history: the Battle of the Pyramids (1798)
It is Napoleon’s invasion of Egypt to which we’re turning today, and specifically to one of the two major battles of that invasion, the July 21, 1798, Battle of the Pyramids. Here Napoleon’s forces almost annihilated an Ottoman army trying to defend Egypt and suddenly made France the new military power in the Middle East. … Continue reading Today in Middle Eastern history: the Battle of the Pyramids (1798)
Today in European history: the Battle of Alarcos (1195)
It’s a strange coincidence that the 1195 Battle of Alarcos and the 1212 Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa wound up so close together on the calendar. I mean, it’s not that strange a coincidence, since there were only so many months out of the year when you could go on campaign back in the 12th and … Continue reading Today in European history: the Battle of Alarcos (1195)
Today in European history: the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa (1212)
For a relatively small confrontation—probably fewer than 50,000 soldiers combined—the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa had far-reaching ramifications for the history of both Iberia and North Africa. The Almohad Caliphate, at or near the height of its territorial growth, suffered a defeat that helped send it into a decades-long spiral eventually ending with its … Continue reading Today in European history: the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa (1212)
Today in Middle Eastern history: the Siege of Acre ends (1191)
The Siege of Acre marks both the end of Saladin’s conquest of Jerusalem and the beginning of the Third Crusade, which was supposed to undo that conquest. When it concluded in 1191, after Philip II of France and Richard I of England had arrived and assumed command, it also marked the beginning of the end … Continue reading Today in Middle Eastern history: the Siege of Acre ends (1191)
Today in Middle Eastern history: the Battle of Köse Dağ (1243)
When the Mongols expanded west in the 13th century, they were certainly not the first steppe people to make that journey. In fact, it was a group of ex-slaves who’d already come from the Eurasian steppe (albeit involuntarily), the Mamluks, who eventually ended the Mongols’ westward expansion at the Battle of Ayn Jalut in 1260. And … Continue reading Today in Middle Eastern history: the Battle of Köse Dağ (1243)
The Rihlah: Who was Ibn Battuta?
I'm kicking off my new "Ibn Battuta's Journey" project over at TheRihlah.com this weekend, and our first serious post talks about who Ibn Battuta was and what he did. Please check it out: Abu Abdullah Muhammad ibn Abdullah al-Lawati al-Tangi ibn Battuta, or “Ibn Battuta” for short, was born in the Moroccan city of Tangier … Continue reading The Rihlah: Who was Ibn Battuta?
Today in European/Middle Eastern history: Frederick Barbarossa drowns (1190) and more
Some days there are a bunch of little historical anniversaries to commemorate, but none that of themselves seem to warrant their own post. June 10 is one of those days. We’ve got four different anniversaries to note, so let’s take them in chronological order. This is just a placeholder. If you’d like to read the … Continue reading Today in European/Middle Eastern history: Frederick Barbarossa drowns (1190) and more
The Foreign Exchanges Companion 