• Course begins on September 24, 2026

  • Live sessions with the instructor each week from 3:30 to 5:30pm Eastern U.S. time

  • All sessions are recorded and available to view for up to 2 weeks after the last live session

Week 1

Introducing the Crusades: The Crusades in the Modern era

Can we study the crusades objectively and dispassionately? Or are we constantly steered by modern voices, pressures, and events to interpret them in a specific way? We will open the course by reflecting on the many different 21st century agendas applying pressure on how we look back at the surviving sources for events that took place around 900 years ago.

Week 2

The Launch of the First Crusade (1095-1096)

Part 1: A general overview of the launch of the First Crusade. Part 2: We will explore how we can use surviving legal documents, letters, sermons and chronicles to answer big questions such as: Why did Pope Urban II launch the crusade? Why did so many people take part? Why did the crusaders attack Jewish communities across many parts of Western Europe?

Week 3

The March of the First Crusade (1096-1099)

Part 1: A detailed survey of the advance of the various armies of the First Crusade up to the conquest of Jerusalem (1099). Part 2: We will explore how Arabic and Armenian accounts can be used to better understand how different societies responded to the arrival of the First Crusade, specifically: the Seljuk Turks, the Fatimid Empire, and the Cilician Armenians.

Week 4

The Formation of the Crusader States (1099-1131)

Part 1: An overview covering the foundation of the Crusader States and their early wars/policies Part 2: We will focus the second part of this week’s talk on cross-cultural perceptions. Using accounts by authors such as Fulcher of Chartres and Albert of Aachen we will explore how the crusaders/Franks viewed the communities they encountered in the Middle East. How did their expectations, beliefs, world view shape their perspective?

Week 5

The Era of Queen Melisende and King Fulk (1131-1152)

Part 1: The first part of this week’s session will continue the Crusader States’ history during the mid-12th century, especially the reign of Queen Melisende, with a particular focus on the Second Crusade. Part 2: We will draw upon histories/texts by William of Tyre, Usama Ibn Munqidh and Ibn al-Qalanisi to examine the development of gender roles and identities across this period in both Christian and Muslim societies.

Week 6

Thematic week: Trade and Commerce

This week provides a general overview of Middle Eastern economics both before the First Crusade and, from then, up to the mid-12th century. Then, drawing upon material items such as ceramics/pottery, sugar moulds, and intestinal worms, we will examine how we can piece together the broader economic history of this era. How did the advent of the Crusades impact this region’s commercial life?

Week 7

Thematic week: Rulers and Ruled

This week will focus on the many communities living under Frankish (Crusader) rule, but also various Christian and Muslim communities living under Turkish or Fatimid rule. We will examine legal sources produced by various rulers, as well as considering some of the inherent challenges involved in making generalizations about the experience of various subjugated communities of this era.

Week 8

The Struggle for Egypt (1153-1168)

Part 1: The first part of this week’s talk will focus on the three-sided war for Egypt fought out between the Fatimid caliphate, the kingdom of Jerusalem and Nur al-Din (Turkish ruler of Syria) Part 2: The second part will focus on castles and architecture. We will explore how surviving buildings such as churches, mosques, harbors, castles, and domestic houses can be examined and interpreted to help us to understand both the inter-cultural exchange of architectural ideas taking place during this era and also the broader development of designs in military and ecclesiastical construction.

Week 9

The Rise of Saladin (1168-1183)

Part 1: explores Saladin’s early rise and career, focusing on his early consolidation of power in Egypt in the 1160s, then later his campaigns in Syria, Anatolia and the Jazira. Part 2: We will explore the sources for Saladin’s life, many of which were written by people who knew him well. These include the authors Ibn al-Athir, Imad ad-Din and Baha al-Din. We will discuss in particular some of the challenges involved in any attempt to identify his character and objectives.

Week 10

Hattin and Jerusalem (1183-1187)

Part 1: For our final session we will cover the years leading up to Saladin’s great victory at Hattin and his subsequent conquest of Jerusalem. Part 2: We will work through the sources written by commentators from many cultures reacting to Saladin’s conquest of Jerusalem – Armenian, Byzantine, Islamic, and Western European – showing how each writer interpreted this major historical event.

Meet your Instructor

Nicholas Morton

Dr. Nicholas Morton is an Associate Professor in History at Nottingham Trent University (UK). He is the author or editor of many works on Medieval Middle Eastern history. His most recent book is: The Mongol Storm: Making and Breaking Empires in the Medieval Near East (Basic Books, 2022). Other books include: The Crusader States and their Neighbours: A Military History, 1099-1187 (Oxford University Press, 2020) and The Field of Blood: The Battle for Aleppo and the Remaking of the Medieval Middle East (Basic Books, 2018). He also runs a You Tube channel with videos covering the history of the Medieval Middle East (handle: @MedievalNearEast).

  • Continued access to the course materials is available for 2 weeks from the last course session


NOTE: This course is not accredited by Dr. Morton's employer, Nottingham Trent University. It is for personal educational purposes only and does not result in any qualification.