Ahmed Sadek

One of the best works in the field. Remarkable for its rational and objective approach to uncertain events.

#IslamicHistory #Historiography #EarlyIslam #MuslimConquests #CriticalHistory

3/ We’re not just fighting terrorism…
We’re handing it diplomas.

#Egypt #alAzhar #Terrorism #Hasm #ISIS #EducationCrisis

2/ And yet some still naively ask:
“Why are so many al-Azhar graduates joining extremist groups?”

Here’s the answer:
They’re taught the same texts that fueled ISIS and al-Qaeda — under the label of “religious knowledge.”

1/ Who said terrorism comes from abroad? It’s being taught among us.

Today in Egypt, a terrorist cell from Hasm was eliminated.

The shocking part?
Most of them were students and graduates of al-Azhar University.

#التاريخ_الإسلامي #النقد_التاريخي #الحروب_الإسلامية #التاريخ_العسكري
#تحقيق_المصادر #الفتوحات_الإسلامية #تفكيك_السرديات

#IslamicHistory #MilitaryHistory #HistoricalAccuracy #MedievalStudies
#HistoryCritique #SourceCriticism #WarAndHistory #DeconstructingHistory
#IslamicWarfare #ManuscriptStudies #HistoryMyths #AcademicThread

8/ The goal isn’t to cancel previous work, but to raise the standard: more archaeological context, clearer source critique, and a better distinction between fact and artistic interpretation…

7/ As researchers, we shouldn’t blindly replicate illustrations. We should challenge them, reconstruct them critically, and ask: Does this align with the actual sources and available evidence?

6/ We need more transparency in methodology. Did the illustration come from cross-referencing later Mamluk weapons? From comparing Byzantine or Sasanian examples? Was it purely interpretive? Just Say it!

5/ Responsible historical research should clarify what’s hypothetical, what’s inferred, and what’s grounded in evidence — especially when visualizing early Islamic armies and battle tactics.

4/ Yet, we often see illustrations passed around as if they’re historical fact — without explanation of how the reconstructions were made, or what evidence (if any) supports them.

3/ Descriptions in Arabic sources are either vague or written centuries later. Terms like “sword” or “shield” are rarely accompanied by technical specs, making detailed reconstructions speculative.

2/ Many popular books and illustrations confidently depict the arms and armor of 7th-century Muslim warriors. But archaeology from that specific period is extremely scarce.

1/ You’ve seen them — those flashy illustrations of early Islamic battles by well-known authors, filled with perfect formations, uniforms, and weapons. But let’s be real… how do they actually know any of that?

#SaveStCatherines #CulturalHeritage #SinaiMonastery #FreedomOfFaith

The Monastery of Saint Catherine in Sinai,Egypt,a beacon of faith, culture, and coexistence is facing legal uncertainty.
May wisdom prevail, and may this sacred place be protected for future generations.
Heritage is not just history; it is identity.

3/
#ArabicManuscripts #HistoryOfTechnology #FortificationStudies #IslamicHistory #SiegeWarfare #MedievalEngineering

2/
#militarytech

The horizontal braces between the scaffolds serve to tightly secure the trestle beams laterally, ensuring structural stability during operation.

This modular structure reflects a highly rational and replicable design logic in medieval Islamic siege machinery.

1/
#Trebuchet
Each scaffold is built from two main elements:
– a base platform at the bottom
– and a crossbeam socket at the top, known as a khanazīrah, into which the five trestle beams (shabarkanāt) are inserted:
→ two outer beams
→ two inner beams
→ one central beam

In this illustration, the author explains how to assemble and connect the different parts of a trebuchet.

The machine consists of two main scaffolds, connected at the top by the “wind beam” (jisr al-riyāḥ) and at the bottom by standard horizontal braces.

We have a sale on our online courses! Use the coupon code 'May' to get 10% off - new courses starting this week! Check them out at medievalstudies.thinkific.com #medieval

#MedievalEngineering #MilitaryTechnology #IslamicScience #ArabicManuscripts #MedievalMachines #Trebuchet #HistoryIllustration #DigitalHumanities #VectorArt #Research

3.A leveling device to flatten the ground before placing the trebuchet base
4.A right-angled triangle tool used to measure height based on right-angle triangle principles (Pythagorean theorem)
5.A device for calculating target distances through angle measurement.

Distance-measuring instruments (right to left) used before installing the trebuchet — from the manuscript al-Anīq fī al-Manajīnīq:

1.A one-arm-length ruler (~65 cm) for general distance measurement
2.A tool for directly measuring tree heights

Reconstructing a medieval military device from al-Anīq fī al-Manajanīq. First slide: the original drawing. Second: my vector-based reconstruction, preserving historical accuracy with modern clarity.
#MedievalEngineering #militarytechnology #arabicmanuscript

Currently reconstructing historical military devices from medieval Arabic manuscripts—combining original source drawings with modern vector illustrations. Excited to share the journey. Let’s connect.
#MedievalHistory #MilitaryTechnology
#History #Histbluesky #Research #DigitalHumanities

#EducationalReform #CriticalThinking #MiddleEastEducation #HistoryMatters
#RethinkEducation
#HistoryEducation

It’s time to use history as a tool for critical engagement and educational reform in the Middle East. We need proper critical thinking in education, not blind acceptance of traditional narratives that fuel biased ideologies and perpetuate the broken cycle in our system.

So I’ve been thinking… what is it about small, fast military units that makes them so effective? From early Islamic battles to today’s special forces, these tactics just seem to keep working. What’s the secret? I’m diving into this,wondering how much of it still applies today.
#MilitaryStrategy

4/4
Hijaz, for instance, wasn’t entirely desert; climate change helped form larger tribes for collective goals.

Excited to delve deeper into this!