As part of the exhibition "Crusades, Myth and Realities" a multimedia exhibit was developed, which is presented in two information sections and provides visitors with the opportunity to search for additional information about the Crusades. At the same time, a spotlight presents images from the application, providing groups of visitors with the opportunity to watch the application on a large screen without getting involved with searching a specific information.

Accessing the information takes place through a simple and easy-to-use interactive environment. The visitor starts its tour with six basic choices:

  • Myth and Reality: the reasons and causes of the crusade movement, as well as the function of the Crusades through time, regarding the development of Europe and Eastern Mediterranean from the 11th century onwards.
  • Time: presentation of the most important events that are related directly and indirectly with the Crusades, in a time framework extending from 1071, when the Battle of Mantzikert between Byzantine and Seljuks took place that led the former seeking assistance from the West, until 1798, when Napoleon occupied Malta and expelled the Knights Hospitaller or Knights of Malta, as they were known at that time.
  • Places: presentation of the course of the crusaders on a map, according to the campaigns, from the city where they started until the place they settled. Every map is accompanied by brief informative text. In the same unit the new countries that were created in the areas where the Crusaders settled are presented, with the basic characteristics that distinguished them (financially, politically, socially) and their development through time and particular emphasis in the new anthropography that was created.
  • People: presentation of the most important ecclesiastical and political people that played an important role in the beginning and development of the Crusades, both from those that participated in them, and from the allies and the opponents. In addition, dynasties are presented as well as military battalions, a new form of organization that proved to be decisive in the history of the Eastern Mediterranean and Europe in general.
  • Social Aspects and Interactions: the new reality is described, shaped in the areas where the crusaders settled, as well as in areas that were related to them. In this framework, the consequences of the Crusades are analyzed regarding aspects that shape everyday life, such as economy, literature, architecture, technology etc. The same unit includes a series of texts of the period of the Crusades, written by Westerners, Byzantines and Arabs, which aim at depicting what each side believed about the other side, the unknown, the different, in order to show clearly the consequences of the Crusades.
  • Digital Library: the history of the Crusades through numerous photographs.

 

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