Middle Ages
Rila Monastery: Bulgaria's Medieval Spiritual Centre
The monastery became Bulgaria's most important religious and cultural centre and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983.
Era · c. 500 – 1500
Middle Ages
Kingdoms, crusades and plagues: the medieval world from the end of the Western Roman Empire to the fall of Constantinople.
Middle Ages
Caliphate of Cordoba (929-1031): Abd al-Rahman III and al-Andalus
The Umayyad emir of Cordoba became caliph, ruling the most powerful state in western Europe for a century before civil war led to its abolition in 1031.
Middle Ages
Althing (930): Iceland's Parliament at Thingvellir
Iceland gained a single annual assembly for law and justice that governed the island without a king until 1262–1264.
Middle Ages
Saint Wenceslaus: The Real Good King Wenceslas of Bohemia
Wenceslaus was killed by his brother's followers and soon venerated as a martyr, becoming the patron saint of the Czech state.
Middle Ages
Madinat al-Zahra: The Lost Palace City of the Cordoba Caliph
The caliph's palace city flourished for about seventy years, was sacked during the civil war of 1009-1031 and lay buried until excavations began in 1911.
Middle Ages
Battle of Brunanburh (937): Athelstan's Great Victory
Decisive English victory; the alliance of Dublin, the Scots and Strathclyde was broken and Athelstan's kingdom survived.
Middle Ages
Battle of Bach Dang (938): Ngo Quyen Ends Chinese Rule
Decisive Vietnamese victory; the Southern Han invasion failed and Ngo Quyen founded an independent Vietnamese kingdom in 939.
Middle Ages
Buyid Capture of Baghdad (945): The Caliphs Lose Power
The Buyids took control of Baghdad and Iraq; the Abbasid caliphs kept their title and religious role but lost real political power for about 110 years.
Middle Ages
Olga of Kiev: Regent, Avenger of Igor and Christian Saint
Olga crushed the Drevlians, reorganised tribute collection in Rus and became its first ruler to accept Christianity.
Middle Ages
Battle of Takkolam (949): Rashtrakutas Defeat the Cholas
Rashtrakuta victory; the Chola crown prince Rajaditya was killed and the Rashtrakutas occupied the northern Chola lands for about two decades.
Middle Ages
Tu'i Tonga Empire: Tonga's Medieval Maritime Chiefdom
The Tu'i Tonga built a far-reaching network of tribute and marriage alliances; from c. 1470 political power passed to new lines, and the title ended in 1865.
Middle Ages
Tula: Capital of the Toltecs and Its Atlantean Warriors
Tula was the leading city of central Mexico in the Early Postclassic; it fell around 1150 and became the legendary 'Tollan' of Aztec tradition.