Baybars (Mamluks)

Sultan Baybars was one of the most important rulers of the Mamluk Sultanate, the Muslim military dynasty based in Egypt that came to rule the Land of Israel after the Crusader and Ayyubid periods. In 1260, the Mamluks defeated the Mongols at the Battle of Ain Jalut, near the Jezreel Valley/Galilee region. This battle stopped the Mongol advance into the southern Levant and helped bring the Land of Israel under Mamluk control. Baybars later became sultan and strengthened Mamluk rule over the region, fighting the remaining Crusader strongholds and encouraging Muslim pilgrimage and building projects.