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Ancient Origins Tour IRAQ

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Reconquista

A wounded Knights Templar is on his knees praying to God. Source: Stephen Pierce/Adobe Stock

What Happened to the Knights Templar? (Video)

Originating in the fervor of the Crusades during the 12th century, the Knights Templar emerged as a dedicated order sworn to protect Christian pilgrims traveling to the Holy Land. Founded by a small...
The liberation of prisoners in Malaga by the Catholic Monarchs, as part of the Reconquista in 1487. Source: Public domain

Reclaiming Iberia: The Epic Tale of the Reconquista in Spain

The Reconquista , a pivotal chapter in medieval European history, represents the centuries-long struggle in the Iberian Peninsula as Christian kingdoms sought to reclaim their territories from...
The Moors left behind a legacy of culture and architecture, such as the Alhambra palace complex in Granada, Spain. Source: lunamarina / Adobe Stock

15 Facts About the Moors You've Probably Never Heard

The Moors left a significant mark on medieval Europe, especially with their conquest of the Iberian Peninsula in 711 AD. They ruled over Spain for several centuries, transforming it culturally,...
Medieval battlefield. Source: Gorodenkoff / Adobe Stock

Aeons of Battle: The 5 Longest Wars in History

In the annals of humanity there is one phenomenon that has consistently weaved and threaded itself through the fabric of time. It is, of course, war, which from the very earliest times until the...
Anna Hyatt Huntington's El Cid statue at Audubon Terrace in front of the Hispanic Society Library in New York City. Source: Brocken Inaglory / CC BY-SA 3.0

El Cid: Christian Champion or Mercenary for the Moors?

Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar, more commonly known as El Cid, was an 11 th century Spanish knight, military leader and mercenary. This larger-than-life-figure is celebrated as a champion of Christianity...
Missing Stone Inscription Holds Key to Almazán Skeletons Enigma

Missing Stone Inscription Holds Key to Almazán Skeletons Enigma

Archaeologists in Almazán Spain are boxed into a corner with a double-edged mystery in which a missing carved stone holds the answer to why eleven bodies were buried beneath a massive medieval...
Amazing street and architecture of Chefchaouen, Morocco, North Africa By Balate Dorin / Adobe Stock

Chefchaouen: Morocco's Blue Pearl City

Chefchaouen (also known as Chaouen), Morocco's Blue Pearl city, is renowned for its old, traditional blue rinsed structures, casting the city in a luminescent colored hue. Situated high in the Rif...
Troglodyte structures in Setenil de las Bodegas in Cadiz Province, Spain.

Setenil de las Bodegas: Troglodyte Buildings in a Quaint Spanish Town

Setenil de las Bodegas is a town located in Cádiz, a province in the southern part of Spain. The current town dates back to the 15th century AD, when the Moors who occupied it were expelled during...
Representational image of Moors in Spain.   Source: Théodore Chassériau / Public domain

Deciphering the Truth Behind the Moors in Spain

Al-Andalus is the name given to the Iberian Peninsula when it was under Muslim rule. Islam arrived in that region with the arrival of the Moors during the 8 th century AD, and succeeded in conquering...
El Cid's crucifix, Cristo de las Batallas. (Garciadelosbarros / CC BY-SA 4.0)       Right: Representation of a knight. (Marla / Adobe stock)

Ancient Letter Reveals Clues to Spanish Warlord’s Battle Crucifix

A Spanish professor has established that a historic crucifix in a Christian cathedral was owned by one of medieval Europe’s greatest warriors. Based on documentary evidence, the professor has proven...
The Spanish Empire and the New World. Source: CanBea87 / CC BY-SA 4.0.

Did the Conquest of the New World Save the Spanish Empire?

The Spanish Empire was one of the earliest (and longest-lasting) European colonial empires. It was established towards the end of the 15th century, when the New World was discovered. The Spanish...
Posthumous portrait of Queen Isabella I of Castile.

Queen Isabella of Castile: Drama, Inquisition, and Exploration

Isabella I was a Queen of Castile and León who lived between the middle of the 15th and the beginning of the 16th centuries. Her reign is notable for a number of important events, including the...