Category Archives: Castles

At the Close of the 13th Century

Posted on October 16, 2023 by Ruth

Before going on to the momentous events of the 14th Century, let’s look at what Europe and Asia were like in the late 13th. Life was soon to change. Climate: First, and at the largest scale, a climatic maximum—-a warm … Continue reading →

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The Topkapı Palace: Constantinople Rebuilt, 1459

Posted on March 17, 2018 by Ruth

Mehmet II wanted to be the legitimate Byzantine Emperor in addition to being its Turkish conqueror. Now they pulled out a long-ago event forgotten by the Greeks: that one renegade son of an Emperor had converted to Islam and married … Continue reading →

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Gunpowder and the Orban Bombard, 1452

Posted on March 17, 2018 by Ruth

During the 1440s, the Ottoman Sultans continued to push back their frontier in Europe. Murad II made his 12 year old son Mehmet king, but he had to be called back in 1444 to confront the Hungarian-Wallachian army at Varna … 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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The Ilkhan and the Fall of Alamut, 1256

Posted on November 17, 2017 by Ruth

Between 1251 and 1254, Mongol armies subdued the Goryeo Kingdom of Korea, though not without drama. Under military pressure, the Korean king sent them a hostage who was supposedly his son, but it turned out to be a stepson not … Continue reading →

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The Orders of Knights, 1209 forward

Posted on September 21, 2017 by Ruth

In 1190, some German merchants set up a field hospital at the siege of Acre. The hospital soon became an Augustinian monastery, then a military order like the Templars. It was called the Order of the Brothers of the German … Continue reading →

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Medieval traveling lives: masons

Posted on June 4, 2016 by Ruth

This fits into the Medieval Cycle of Life series, after the traveling minstrel. Today’s “Masonic Lodge” has no direct connection to the actual Freemasons of the Middle Ages, but some of the traits and tropes we associate with them, like … Continue reading →

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Early medieval ladies

Posted on May 21, 2016 by Ruth

This post is a follow-up to an earlier one about the lives of castle ladies. Prior to 1100, medieval ladies didn’t have castles, they had halls. There was one key difference that completely shaped the lady’s life. That is, instead … Continue reading →

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Locking things up

Posted on November 27, 2014 by Ruth

Very few people needed really serious security in the Middle Ages; those who did lived in castles or kept their valuables in guarded places. Most people needed moderate deterrence to guard things of moderate value. For these situations, the common … Continue reading →

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The Sieges of Antioch, 1098

Posted on May 8, 2014 by Ruth

Antioch had been the regional capital of Roman Palestine. It was a walled city, with the Orontes River dividing it into two parts connected by bridges. Each bridge had a tower and could be defended; there was also a separate … Continue reading →

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