Videos

Tamerlane was one of history’s greatest conquerors— but was he a great state builder or a bloodthirsty tyrant? You decide. He was born in the 1330s in the Chaghatayid Khanate, formerly the Mongol Empire. On the steppe, he rose from a lowly...

Trace the rise and fall of the Islamic Empire, from the prophet Muhammad in the 7th century to the sacking of Baghdad. In the 7th century CE, the prophet Muhammad united the people of the Arabian Peninsula through the formation of Islam...

Explore how the ancient Egyptians built the Great Pyramid, a tomb created for Pharaoh Khufu which took over 20 years to complete. As soon as Pharaoh Khufu ascended the throne circa 2575 BCE, work on his eternal resting place began. The...

Join siblings Hisham and Asma in medieval Baghdad as they prepare and gather supplies for the hajj, a holy pilgrimage to Mecca. It’s 791 CE. As the morning sun shines on the Golden Gate Palace, brother and sister Hisham and Asma prepare...

Trace the rise and fall of the Mughal Empire, which became one of the wealthiest and most powerful states in the early modern world. Though he was descended from some of the world’s most successful conquerors, Babur struggled to gain a...

Dig into the history of the Papal Schism, which caused a split in the Catholic Church while 3 popes vied for supremacy. For almost two millennia, the Pope has been a figure of supreme spiritual authority for Catholics around the world...

Marie Antoinette became a symbol for the evils of excess— but was she a wasteful queen or a convenient scapegoat? You decide. She was the Queen of France, notorious for living in opulence while peasants starved and became a symbol of everything...

Examine the empty land theory, which was created by European colonizers in South Africa to support their claims to the region. From the 1650s through the late 1800s, European colonists descended on South Africa. They sought to claim the...

Dig into the history of the elite mercenaries known as condottieri, who were soldiers for hire for Italy's rich and powerful. During the 14th and 15th centuries, mercenaries known as condottieri dominated Italian warfare, profiting from—...

Humanity didn't always know about the invisible viruses, bacteria, and microbes that can cause disease. But that doesn't mean we didn't come up with some truly bizarre ideas. From the four humors and miasma theory to bloodletting and trepanation...