The imperial city has been a prominent tourist destination since the early Middle Ages, with striking ruins, catacombs and holy sites.

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Mr Gove said teachers were encouraged to teach the early Middle Ages "by studying the depiction of King John as a cowardly lion in Disney's Robin Hood".

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For example, the rise of coffee in the Islamic world in the early Middle Ages is what led to the rise of coffeehouse culture in those countries, which fueled the intellectual ferment that led to the Islamic golden age.

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There have been several books published recently touting the historical contributions of Islamic scholars to the early history of science (in the Middle Ages), but fewer assessing the relationship between Muslim tradition and the challenges that modern science presents to it today.

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The secrecy of Swiss bank accounts dated back to the Middle Ages but was made law in the early 20th century with the passage of the Banking Law of 1934.

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