Middle East

Turkish artillery of the Ottoman Empire during the First World War. (Buyenlarge/Getty Images)

6 lesser-known facts about the Ottoman Empire

American president Warren G Harding and his wife, First Lady Florence Harding.

Tension in the Middle East and populist presidents: what the world was like 100 years ago

Ayatollah Khomeini

General ancient history

A brief history of Iran

Crowds protest in Tehran

Opinion: is Iran a nation at war with itself?

A stained glass depiction of the nativity.

General ancient history

The history of the nativity: how much is known about the birth of Jesus?

A statue of Leif Eriksson

Russia, North America and the Middle East: where did the Vikings visit to trade and raid?

The Trojan Horse – seen in the 2004 film Troy

How much of the legend of Troy is real?

(Illustration by Davide Bonazzi for BBC World Histories magazine)

Is the world still living in the shadow of the crusades?

Figure of Tutankhamun

In pictures: the glittering treasures of Tutankhamun

The Temple Scroll, from the Dead Sea Scrolls

General ancient history

Digging for the Bible: 10 key discoveries from the Holy Land

Illustration by Joey Guidone

The big question: has terrorism ever achieved its aims?

An open Bible on an altar

General ancient history

A history of the Bible: who wrote it and when?

Dan Jones by Steve Sayers and Helen Castor

The Crusades, with Dan Jones

Four soliders of the 36th Sikhs, various ranks, 1896. The regiment was led in January 1897 to occupy the Samana posts, says Captain Jay Singh-Sohal. (Reproduced with permission from australiansikhheritage.com)

The battle of Saragarhi: when 21 Sikh soldiers stood against 10,000 men

The Suez canal

How significant was the Suez Crisis?