The Mamluks vs the Mongols in Israel
In Egypt to the south-west, a new sultanate was rising, the Mamluks.
Primarily Turkic or Caucasian mercenaries and slaves serving the Egyptian Ayyubid dynasty, they were converted to Islam and rigorously trained in warfare.
Leveraging their military significance, they overran Egypt and established their own sultanate in 1250 CE, which lasted until 1516 CE.
To the East, the Mongols invaded Syria in 1260 CE, destroying the already weak Ayyubid dynasty.
Moving southward and leaving carnage in their wake, the Mongols came to a stand-off with the invading Mamluk army from the south, at Ein Galud in Israel.
The Mamluks triumphed, and the battle consolidated their rule and dealt a major blow to the Mongol Empire's westward expansion campaign.
Accounts of the extent of Mongol raids in the Land are largely disputed, but some sources mention raids in Jerusalem and as far as Gaza between 1299 and 1300 CE. Mongol raiders completely retreated to Damascus by March 1300 CE.
Overview
The Battle of Ein Galud (Ein Harod today) was fought between the Mamluks of Egypt and the Mongol Empire on September 3, 1260 in the Galilee region. It marks the first major loss of the Mongolian Empire’s campaign for westward expansion and the consolidation of Mamluk Rule in the region.











