Baibars | |||||
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Sultan of Egypt and Syria | |||||
Reign | 24 October 1260 – 1 July 1277 | ||||
Coronation | 1260 at Salihiyah | ||||
Predecessor | Saif ad-Din Qutuz | ||||
Successor | Al-Said Barakah | ||||
Born | 19 July 1223 Cumania |
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Died | 1 July 1277 (aged 54) Damascus, Mamluk Sultanate |
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Issue |
al-Said Barakah Solamish |
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House | Zahiri | ||||
Dynasty | Bahri | ||||
Religion | Sunni Islam |
Full name | |
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al-Malik al-Zahir Rukn al-Din Baibars al-Bunduqdari Abu al-Futuh |
Baibars or Baybars (Arabic: الملك الظاهر ركن الدين بيبرس البندقداري, al-Malik al-Ẓāhir Rukn al-Din Baibars al-Bunduqdar) (1223 – 1 July 1277), of Turkic Kipchak origin — nicknamed Abu al-Futuh and Abu l-Futuhat (Arabic: أبو الفتوح; English: Father of Conquest, referring to his victories) — was the fourth Sultan of Egypt in the Mamluk Bahri dynasty. He was one of the commanders of the Egyptian forces that inflicted a defeat on the Seventh Crusade of King Louis IX of France. He also led the vanguard of the Egyptian army at the Battle of Ain Jalut in 1260, which marked the first substantial defeat of the Mongol army and is considered a turning point in history.
The reign of Baibars marked the start of an age of Mamluk dominance in the Eastern Mediterranean and solidified the durability of their military system. He managed to pave the way for the end of the Crusader presence in the Levant and reinforced the union of Egypt and Syria as the region's pre-eminent Muslim state, able to fend off threats from both Crusaders and Mongols, and even managed to subdue the kingdom of Makuria, which was famous for being unconquerable by previous Muslim empire invasion attempts. As Sultan, Baibars also engaged in a combination of diplomacy and military action, allowing the Mamluks of Egypt to greatly expand their empire.
His name was derived from Kipchak Turkic ("chief") + ("panther").
Baibars was born in the Dasht-i Kipchak/Cumania, between the Edil (Volga) and Yaiyk (Ural) rivers, to the Cumans-Kipchaks. He was described as fair-skinned in contrast to the "swarthy" skin of the native Egyptians, broadfaced with small eyes, very tall which was typical in both Arabic and European descriptions of Turkic men, and had a cataract in one of his eyes.