Dynasty·Abbasid
Mamluk Sultanate Established in Egypt
- Date
- 1250 CE648 AH776 years ago
- Place
- Cairo, Egypt
- People
- Aybak, Shajar al-Durr
In 1250 CE, Mamluk officers in Egypt overthrew the Ayyubid dynasty after the murder of Sultan Turanshah. Shajar al-Durr, the widow of an Ayyubid sultan, briefly ruled as sultana before she handed power to the Mamluk commander Aybak in July 1250. The Mamluks were former military slaves who ruled Egypt and Syria until 1517. They fought the Mongols and the Crusaders.
Why it matters
The Mamluk sultanate defeated the Mongol advance at Ain Jalut and became the main power in the Islamic Middle East.