2021-05-18 Tue

Baibars I was a powerful Sultan who is remembered most for his military leadership, especially against Crusaders and Mongols, but also for his diplomatic skills. He is often regarded as the most famous of the Mamluk Sultans who ruled Egypt and Syria from 1260 to 1277.

Baibars I was the fourth Mamluk Sultan of Egypt and Syria and is generally considered by historians to be the founder of the Bahri Dynasty. The siege of Antioch occurred in 1268 when the Mamelukes under Baibars finally succeeded in capturing the city of Antioch. Prior to the siege, the Crusader Principality was oblivious to the loss of the city, as demonstrated when Baibars sent negotiators to the leader of the former Crusader state and mocked his use of "Prince" in the title Prince of Antioch.

The Sirat Baybars, a folk account purporting to be his life story, is still popular in the Arabic-speaking world. The reign of Baibars marked the start of an age of Mamluk dominance in the Eastern Mediterranean. Baibars was nicknamed Abu al-Futuh, the Father of Conquest. He was the first Mamluk to call himself a Sultan on his coins. Most of his successors maintained this habit. As his personal emblem, Baibars put a lion on his coins.

Image Source: Wikipedia.org