Selim I: Did you mean...?

The frames that formed the Viking ship’s internal skeleton were cut from naturally curved branches with an axe. Blows delivered parallel to the grain ensured these structural elements reached the strength...

In this gallery of 30 illustrations, we present the stages and techniques required to build the type of Viking ship Harald Hardrada, the future Norwegian king (reign 1046-1066), would likely have...

When the hull of a Viking ship had been fully closed, the caulking line was checked again, and weak or poorly seated overlaps were tightened. A good boat revealed itself not in the first assembly, but...

Selim III (r. 1789-1807 CE) watching the parade of his new army, the Nizam-ı Cedid (New Order) troops, in 1793 CE.

Each new plank for a Viking ship was not fastened permanently at once but was first tested and clamped in place. Fresh oak was bent when necessary and allowed to settle. If the curve proved wrong...

The work of building a Viking ship began by determining the type and purpose of the vessel. Whether it would be a warship, a cargo boat, or a coastal craft was decided, and the hull length, need for lightness...

The Great Pyramid of Giza is a defining symbol of Egypt and the last of the ancient Seven Wonders of the World. It is located on the Giza plateau near the modern city of Cairo and was built over a twenty-year period during...

Caliphate (“Khilafat” in Arabic) was a semi-religious political system of governance in Islam, in which the territories of the Islamic empire in the Middle East and North Africa and the people within were ruled by a supreme...

Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, constructed 532-537, continues to be revered as one of the most important structures in the world. Hagia Sophia (Greek Ἁγία Σοφία, for 'Holy Wisdom') was designed to be the major basilica of the Byzantine...

The Ottoman Empire under Suleiman I (reign 1520–1566), known as Suleiman the Magnificent in Europe and Kanuni (the Lawgiver) in Ottoman tradition, became...