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Ahmed Sadek

Ahmed Sadek

@sadek3.bsky.social

31 followers 64 following 32 posts

Medieval History&Archaeology | Independent Researcher in Islamic Military Architecture,Warfare Technology and Cross-Cultural exchanges | Musician by night

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Ahmed Sadek @sadek3.bsky.social · May 10

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

Ahmed Sadek @sadek3.bsky.social · Jul 23

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

#IslamicHistory #Historiography #EarlyIslam #MuslimConquests #CriticalHistory

Ahmed Sadek @sadek3.bsky.social · Jul 20

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

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

Ahmed Sadek @sadek3.bsky.social · Jul 20

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.”

Ahmed Sadek @sadek3.bsky.social · Jul 20

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.

Ahmed Sadek @sadek3.bsky.social · Jul 19

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

Ahmed Sadek @sadek3.bsky.social · Jul 19

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…

Ahmed Sadek @sadek3.bsky.social · Jul 19

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?

Ahmed Sadek @sadek3.bsky.social · Jul 19

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!

Ahmed Sadek @sadek3.bsky.social · Jul 19

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.

Ahmed Sadek @sadek3.bsky.social · Jul 19

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.

Ahmed Sadek @sadek3.bsky.social · Jul 19

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.

Ahmed Sadek @sadek3.bsky.social · Jul 19

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.

Ahmed Sadek @sadek3.bsky.social · Jul 19

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?

Ahmed Sadek @sadek3.bsky.social · Jun 1

#SaveStCatherines #CulturalHeritage #SinaiMonastery #FreedomOfFaith

Ahmed Sadek @sadek3.bsky.social · Jun 1

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.

Ahmed Sadek @sadek3.bsky.social · May 31

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

Ahmed Sadek @sadek3.bsky.social · May 31

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.

Ahmed Sadek @sadek3.bsky.social · May 31

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

Ahmed Sadek @sadek3.bsky.social · May 31

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.

Reposted by Ahmed Sadek

Medievalist.net @medievalists.bsky.social · May 26

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

Ahmed Sadek @sadek3.bsky.social · May 20

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

Ahmed Sadek @sadek3.bsky.social · May 20

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.

Ahmed Sadek @sadek3.bsky.social · May 20

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

Ahmed Sadek @sadek3.bsky.social · May 20

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