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Turning Points in Middle Eastern History

Season 1
Turning Points in Middle Eastern History unfurl a breathtaking panorama of history, exploring a 1,300-year window from the rise of the warrior prophet Muhammad to the fall of the Ottoman Empire after World War I. Each lecture focuses on a specific moment that changed the direction of events or the narrative of history.
201636 episodesTV-PG
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Episodes

  1. S1 E1 - Muslim Empires: Land, Language, Religion
    February 4, 2016
    33min
    TV-PG
    Consider the geographical region we call the Greater Middle East, and explore the range of nations and cultures that define it. Preview some of the remarkable historical turning points you'll witness, encompassing conquests, political alliances, invasions, and the rise of Islam, as well as social, intellectual, and economic flowering of numerous kinds.#History
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  2. S1 E2 - Muhammad and the Dawn of Islam - 622
    February 4, 2016
    30min
    TV-PG
    Historically, the rise of Islam was a turning point among turning points. Trace key phases in the life of Muhammad, from the founding of the faith through his years of opposition and his ultimate establishment of Islam as a religious and political entity. Assess the global impact of these events, and analyze their reverberations today.
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  3. S1 E3 - Arab Invasion of North Africa - 639
    February 4, 2016
    31min
    TV-PG
    The seventh-century Arab invasion of North Africa brought profound and permanent change to the entire region. Follow the Arab armies of the newly created Islamic empire in their conquest of the territories of Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, and Morocco, and take account of the lasting Arabization and Islamization that resulted.
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  4. S1 E4 - Umayyad Caliphate in Damascus - 661
    February 4, 2016
    31min
    TV-PG
    The establishment of the Umayyad caliphate's capital in Damascus was the most important political turning point in early Muslim history. Trace the Umayyads' achievements, and investigate their reasons for locating the empire's capital away from the Arabian peninsula, reflecting the shift from a religiously inspired Islamic empire to a politically oriented imperial power.
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  5. S1 E5 - Battle of Karbala - 680
    February 4, 2016
    28min
    TV-PG
    The Battle of Karbala represents the defining moment in the split between the two main branches of Islam. Learn about how the faith came to violent internal conflict so early in its history, assess the nature of the underlying dispute over succession, and witness the political and religious fallout from the battle itself.
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  6. S1 E6 - Arab Invasion of Andalusia - 711
    February 4, 2016
    30min
    TV-PG
    Study the events surrounding the incursion of Berber-Arab armies into the Iberian peninsula in 711, leading to Muslim domination of the region that would last 800 years. Witness the fateful Battle of Guadalete and the Arabs’ advance north, and consider both the immediate legacy of the invasion and its overall impact on European history.
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  7. S1 E7 - Battle of Talas - 751
    February 4, 2016
    29min
    TV-PG
    The Battle of Talas in Central Asia was the only occasion when Arab and Chinese armies would oppose one another. Explore the factors leading to the encounter, the lengthy battle that led to victory for the Abbasid Arabs, and the resulting spread of papermaking to the Middle East, an event with global impact.
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  8. S1 E8 - The Founding of Baghdad - 762
    February 4, 2016
    31min
    TV-PG
    As the political center of the Muslim world, Baghdad would have a role and importance unlike any other urban center on earth. Chart the building of Baghdad as an imperial capital; explore its monumental, Persian-inspired architectural design; and discover the human factors that made it one of the greatest centers of learning in human history.
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  9. S1 E9 - Islamic Golden Age Begins - 813
    February 4, 2016
    32min
    TV-PG
    Under the Abbasid Caliph al-Ma'mun, Baghdad thrived as both a center of trade and manufacturing and a world city of scholarship. Consider al-Ma'mun's lavish patronage of learning, his promotion of translation and scholarly missions, and his extraordinary influence in three areas: literature, the sciences, and Islamic theology.
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  10. S1 E10 - Qairouan University - 859
    February 4, 2016
    31min
    TV-PG
    The world's first university was founded by a visionary Muslim woman in the city of Fes, Morocco. Learn how this groundbreaking institution made advanced education available to all. Assess its influence in the Middle East, discover its unrivaled impact on European learning, and examine the life and work of one of its most celebrated alumni.
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  11. S1 E11 - The Fatimids of Cairo - 969
    February 4, 2016
    31min
    TV-PG
    Follow the rise of the Fatimids-history's only Shia caliphate-in political and religious opposition to the Baghdad-based Abbasids. Witness the founding of Cairo as the new Fatimid capital, and examine the enlightened leadership of the 4th and 5th Fatimid caliphs, under whom Cairo became the most important city in the Islamic world.
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  12. S1 E12 - Umayyad Exile in Cordoba - 784 - 1031
    February 4, 2016
    31min
    TV-PG
    Discover the golden age of Cordoba as a global center of education and culture. Learn how the displaced Umayyad caliphate established a kingdom in exile in Cordoba, whose rulers oversaw remarkable advancements in lifestyle and manners, magnificent architecture and urban development, and the cultivation of the best available Muslim, Christian, and Jewish scholarship.
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  13. S1 E13 - Al-Ghazali and Orthodoxy - 1090
    February 4, 2016
    31min
    TV-PG
    The theologian and philosopher Abu Hamid Muhammad al-Ghazali has been called the most influential Muslim after Muhammad. Witness al-Ghazali's rise to become a renowned Islamic legal scholar, and reflect on the profound impact of his diverse writings. Investigate his passionate challenge to Neo-Platonism in Islamic theology, and assess the continuing legacy of his work.
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  14. S1 E14 - Crusaders Capture Jerusalem - 1099
    February 4, 2016
    31min
    TV-PG
    Study the complex motives and competing interests that launched the Christian crusade to take Jerusalem from its Muslim occupiers. Follow the events of the Pope's dramatic call to arms and the bloody assault against the Holy City, and take account of its aftermath as well as its long-term effects on history.
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  15. S1 E15 - Muslims in the Court of Roger II - 1130
    February 4, 2016
    31min
    TV-PG
    Encounter the remarkable Kingdom of Sicily under the enlightened and tolerant rule of the Norman king Roger II. Grasp how Norman invaders established a kingdom in southern Italy, and learn about the unique features of life there, including extraordinary legal, economic, and architectural achievements. Consider Roger's legacy and why it remains relevant today.
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  16. S1 E16 - Saladin: Chivalry and Conquest - 1187
    February 4, 2016
    31min
    TV-PG
    The Muslim general Saladin stands as a unique figure in Middle Eastern history. Plunge into the pivotal Battle of Hattin, where Saladin's forces decimated the Crusader armies, shifting the balance of power in the Holy Land. Contemplate the combination of brilliant strategy and chivalrous treatment of his enemies that characterized this most remarkable of leaders.
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  17. S1 E17 - The Egyptian Mamluks - 1250
    February 4, 2016
    30min
    TV-PG
    The Mamluks were an unprecedented phenomenon-a community of slaves who became rulers. Investigate the origins of the Mamluks, and uncover how this elite warrior class took power in Egypt. Learn about the Mamluks’ empire, their meritocratic system, and how they defeated a vast army that had never been beaten in battle: the Mongols.
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  18. S1 E18 - Mongols Sack Baghdad - 1258
    February 4, 2016
    30min
    TV-PG
    This lecture narrates the calamity that befell the world's largest, most prosperous, and most celebrated city. First trace the rise of the Mongols, a fierce and most destructive ancient empire. Then follow their conquest of the Abbasids of Baghdad, culminating in the horrific siege that effectively ended the Islamic Golden Age.
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  19. S1 E19 - Ottoman Empire Rises - 1299
    February 4, 2016
    31min
    TV-PG
    The dazzling empire of the Ottomans was the longest-lasting empire in Middle Eastern history. Learn about the dream of Osman, the Ottomans’ founder, which impelled him to establish what became a transcontinental superpower. Grasp what allowed the Ottomans to thrive and to spread across Anatolia, North Africa, and Eastern Europe.
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  20. S1 E20 - Mansa Musa, Richest Man - 1324
    February 4, 2016
    30min
    TV-PG
    History's richest human being was reputedly the African emperor Mansa Musa. Trace the events of Musa's legendary hajj to Mecca, where his lavish spending destabilized the economy of Egypt. Learn about his subsequent creation of a university and library that remain among the most important repositories of ancient wisdom in the world.
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  21. S1 E21 - Ibn Khaldun’s Masterpiece - 1377
    February 4, 2016
    31min
    TV-PG
    Discover the life and times of the brilliant Ibn Khaldun, who produced the Muquaddimah, one of the most original works of scholarship ever written. Follow his astonishing career as a scholar, historian, and judge, and investigate his magnum opus, a philosophy of history that delineates patterns that govern the transformation of human societies.
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  22. S1 E22 - Ottomans Seize Constantinople - 1453
    February 4, 2016
    30min
    TV-PG
    Grasp why the storied city of Constantinople had great strategic importance to the burgeoning Ottoman Empire. Witness the fiercely contested siege of the city, revealing the Ottoman offensive by both land and sea. Take account of how the city's fall arguably marked the end of both the Roman Empire and the Middle Ages.
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  23. S1 E23 - Fall of Granada - 1492
    February 4, 2016
    30min
    TV-PG
    The fall of Granada marked the end of 800 years of Muslim rule on the Iberian Peninsula. Study the fitful Granada war that unfolded over ten years, leading to a final eight-month siege under the Catholic monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella. Follow the events of the state-sanctioned persecution of Jews and Muslims that followed.
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  24. S1 E24 - Safavid Dynasty of Persia - 1501
    February 4, 2016
    30min
    TV-PG
    Examine the birth of the 250-year Safavid Empire, established by the religious leader, warrior, and poet Ismail. Observe how Ismail forcibly converted his entire kingdom to the Shiite Islamic faith, introduced a new military system, and put in place the Persian bureaucratic framework that underlies the modern nation of Iran.
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  25. S1 E25 - Selim the Grim - 1512
    February 4, 2016
    30min
    TV-PG
    Investigate the achievements of this most fearsome and pivotal of Ottoman rulers. Learn how Selim vanquished the threatening Safavid Empire after violently wresting power from his father. Track his dramatic expansionist policy, tripling the Ottoman territories in less than a decade, and his defeat of the Egyptian Mamluks, becoming the first Ottoman Caliph.
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