In this and the next episode, we'll hear about the Crusader invasions of Egypt in the 1160s. These represent the Crusaders' last desperate attempts to prevent the creation of an Islamic superpower that would have the military might to defeat them. To the east of the Crusaders lay the powerful Zengid Sultanate, led by Nur ad-Din, which stretched from Aleppo down to the Red Sea. But Egypt was still an independent state ruled by the Fatimid Caliphate. To prevent it from being conquered by the Zengids, King Amalric of Jerusalem, launched an invasion in 1163. What followed would have more twists and turns than the best crime thriller.

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