Middle East

Jonathan Phillips sees one of the most notorious events in European history as a typical ‘clash of cultures’.

Robin Waterfield, author of a new book on the Greek soldier Xenophon, explains how he came to retrace the steps of the soldier’s famous journey to the Black Sea.

Cultural historian Lucy Hughes-Hallett considers how perceptions of Cleopatra have moved in the last decade and a half.

Diplomat and traveller Hugh Leach draws on his experience of working with Arab tribes to examine T.E. Lawrence’s strategy in the Arab revolt, in anticipation of a new exhibition at the Imperial War Museum.

Umej Bhatia discusses Muslim memories of the Crusades and their resonances in Middle Eastern politics today.

Robert Carr traces developments in British policy between 1917 and 1956.

Andrew Petersen uncovers the city that was once the Palestinian capital and suggests reasons for its decline in the 11th century.