Battle·Later empires
Battle of Ain Jalut
- Date
- 3 September 1260 CERamadan 658 AH766 years ago
- Place
- Ain Jalut, Galilee
- People
- Qutuz, Baybars, Kitbuqa
On 3 September 1260 CE, a Mamluk army under Sultan Qutuz met a Mongol force led by Kitbuqa near Ain Jalut in Galilee. The Mamluk commander Baybars used a feigned retreat to draw the Mongols into an ambush. Kitbuqa was captured and executed. The Mongols were defeated, and their advance into Syria and Egypt ended. Sources differ by one day on the Ramadan date.
Why it matters
It was the first major defeat of the Mongols in direct battle, and it halted their westward expansion.