Statement of Purpose

This site focuses on the Great Crusades, wars fought by Christians and Muslims in the Holy Land between 1096 and 1290. It is not intended to be a comprehensive encyclopedia, but rather an exploration of selected cultural aspects of the Crusades. Although the military history cannot be ignored in a site on the Crusades, the main topics covered are culturally oriented: art, chivalry, music, religion, and roles of women. The conflict is examined from both the European and the Muslim perspectives.
While there is an abundance of scholarship available on Europe in the Middle Ages, and on the Crusades from a European viewpoint, there is less available on the Islamic world for this time period. This site represents an attempt to include more complete information on the Islamic world. The lack of source material in this area has proved a significant challenge. Additionally, the contributors' limited knowledge of languages precluded use of some potentially valuable sources.
The intended users of this site are college students or adults interested in learning about the Crusades. Included in the site are short, topical articles, analyses, photographs, maps, drawings, and references, both printed and online. It is intended as a launching pad for further study.

Site Design and Navigation

The site is comprised of five components: a welcome page, a clickable map, a timeline, articles accessed via a subject list, and a list of references, both on-line and paper. Frames aid in navigation and prevent a user following an external link from exiting the site completely.

Contributors

This site is a product of a group project for English 415/516 at the University of Michigan. Group members are Lili Kivisto, Paul Kubicz, Elizabeth Nelson, Kim Retert, Derik Smith, Susan Stekel, Anne Thomas, Mary Jane Wagg, and Ginger Lee Zabel.
Last modified December 8, 1997