Battle of Ridaniya
1517 CE · Egypt
The Battle of Ridaniya was fought in 1517 CE in Egypt between Ottoman Empire vs the Mamluk Sultanate; decisive Ottoman victory; Egypt became an Ottoman province.
Battle of Ridaniya: quick facts
- Date
- 1517 CE
- Location
- Egypt
- Belligerents
- Ottoman Empire vs the Mamluk Sultanate
- Commanders
- Selim I vs Tuman Bay II
- Result
- decisive Ottoman victory; Egypt became an Ottoman province.
- Era
- ⚔️ Ottoman & Islamic Empires
- Quiz difficulty
- hard
What happened at the Battle of Ridaniya?
Sultan Selim I's Ottoman army defeated the last Mamluk sultan, Tuman Bay II, outside Cairo, completing the Ottoman conquest of Egypt. The Mamluk Sultanate, which had ruled Egypt and the Levant for over 250 years, was extinguished. The victory gave the Ottomans control of the Islamic holy cities of Mecca and Medina, the lucrative spice trade routes, and the symbolic title of Caliph of Islam.
Did you know?
After conquering Egypt at Ridaniya, Selim I claimed the title of Caliph of Islam, transferring the spiritual leadership of Sunni Muslims from the Abbasids to the Ottoman dynasty.
Sources and further reading
- Battle of Ridaniya on Wikipedia for the full account, historiography and primary sources.
- How BattleGuess compiles and checks battle facts: see the About page.
Entry last reviewed 26 September 2026.