⚔️ Ottoman & Islamic Empiresmedium
Siege of Baghdad
1258 CE · Iraq
Quick Facts
- Year
- 1258 CE
- Location
- Iraq
- Era
- ⚔️ Ottoman & Islamic Empires
- Difficulty
- medium
Hulagu Khan's Mongol army besieged and sacked Baghdad, ending the five-century-old Abbasid Caliphate. The last Abbasid caliph, al-Musta'sim, was executed, and the city's legendary libraries, mosques, and hospitals were destroyed. According to accounts, the Tigris ran black with ink from the books thrown into it. The fall of Baghdad is widely considered one of the most catastrophic events in Islamic history, ending the Islamic Golden Age.
💡 Did you know?
Scholars estimate that the Mongol sack of Baghdad destroyed libraries containing millions of manuscripts, setting back Islamic science and learning by centuries. The Tigris reportedly ran black with ink.