Their fanatical courage struck terror in their enemies. Their fabulous wealth made them the most powerful men in Europe. Their secret rites inspired rumors of heresy. In the Crusades, these ferocious sword-wielding monks were charged with protecting the Kingdom of Jerusalem. In defeat, they were burned at the stake. Journey from Middle Ages Jerusalem to modern day Europe to unravel the extraordinary story of the legendary Knights who some say survived their supposed execution at the end of the Crusades and have preserved their order to this day. Leading historians reveal their fantastic origins, and period accounts bring their legendary battles to life. Ancient documents and artefacts hint at the mysteries that surround them. Did they discover ancient secrets buried beneath Solomon's temple, and conspire to seize part of Europe for themselves? Explore the incredible history of the Crusade's mightiest and most puzzling warriors.
We will follow the two great waves of crusader armies - that of the nobility led by Count Raymond IV of Toulouse, and that of the commoners exhorted into mobilisation by Peter the Hermit and Walter the Penniless-en route to Constantinopole and from there across the Anatolian plains to Jerusalem. With CGI-enhanced visuals we will reconstruct key battles to learn how the crusaders would manage to conquer one city after another without supply lines.
Upon conquering Jerusalem, the crusader-settlers were faced with an entirely new dilemma: their survival in a hostile territory far from home. This programme will tell the untold story of the crusades--one that charts the complexity of Muslim-Christian relations. In the wake of conquest, the crusader-settlers embark on lavish building projects in their new territory, not only refurbishing the Christian holy sites such as the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, but also constructing a fantastic chain of fortresses along the Mediterranean perimeter of the kingdom to protect it from invasion.
An enigma even in his own time, Saladin became a hero in the West long before his rediscovery in the Muslim world in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. His famous truce with Richard the Lionheart is the most iconic moment in the entire history of the crusades. But why did Saladin negotiate a truce when he won nearly every battle? This programme will tease out the hidden history of Saladin, Richard and the Third Crusade. Saladin unexpectedly rises to power upon the death of Nur Al-Din. Under him 'jihad', or Islamic counter-crusade, becomes a coherent rallying concept for the Muslim world. Unifying Syria and Egypt, he defeats the crusaders at Hattin to reconquer Jerusalem in 1187.
At the death of Saladin the Crusader kingdom has been reduced to a narrow strip of land and a handful of ports. A fourth crusade never reaches the Holy Land, setting its sights instead on Constantinopole. One crusade after naother is launched to shore up the faltering crusader territories. But finally the crusader settlers are evicted by the Mamluks in 1291. Through the eyes of Mongols, Mamluks and the beleaguered Crusaders we will witness the collapse of an empire of faith.
A behind the scenes making of the series called "History in the Making: The Crusades"
