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Medieval Castle Block Set 110 pieces New Lower Price! OUT OF STOCK Back to International Block Assortments Block Shoppe Home Page |
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For centuries, kings, noblemen, warlords, anyone with
the resources to build one and the military might to defend one, constructed
stone castles, great and small. Within these castles, they defended
their families and close allies, and provided protection to the outlying
peasants and towns under their control. They are found throughout Europe
as ruins or as intact buildings still in use. The Christian Crusaders
built many large castles in the Holy Land during their wars with the
Islamic Empires, in what is now called the Middle East, comprising Israel,
Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan, and the Arabian Peninsula. Interesting Historical Note: T. E. Lawrence, better known as Lawrence of Arabia, began his career among the Arabs as a young scholar of Arabic and antiquities of the Holy Land, with the intention of doing his Doctoral thesis on Crusader Castles. After the British defeat in the Dardanelles (WWI) at the hands of the Turks, Lawrence was drafted into the British Army at the age of 20 as a Colonel, assigned to organize an Arab revolt against the Ottoman Empire which ruled most of the region including Palestine (Jordan and Israel), Syria (including what is now Lebanon) and Mesopotamia (Iraq), and the entire Arabian Peninsula. It was hoped the diversion would give the British some relief on the Western Front by taking Turkey out of the war. The Government picked on Lawrence since he was the only British subject who was on intimate terms with the locals, knew the culture and territory, and was fluent in Arabic. Suggested reading: Seven Pillars of Wisdom by T. E. Lawrence. |
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