Battle of Marj Dabiq
Dabiq plain, about 44 km north of Aleppo, Syria
What happened
The Ottoman sultan Selim I fought the Mamluk sultan Al-Ashraf Qansuh al-Ghawri. The Mamluk Sultanate, based in Egypt, ruled Syria. On the plain of Dabiq the Mamluk horsemen first pushed the Ottomans back, but the Ottomans had cannons and soldiers with handguns, while the Mamluks had none. When a Mamluk governor who had secretly joined the Ottomans ordered his troops to retreat, the Mamluk army broke, and al-Ghawri died on the field.
Why it matters
Why it matters: The Ottomans gained Syria and opened the way to Egypt. It showed how gunpowder weapons were changing warfare in the Middle East.
What came next
Selim took Aleppo and Damascus, then defeated the Mamluks again near Cairo in 1517. The Ottoman Empire now ruled Egypt, Syria and the holy cities of Mecca and Medina.
Did you know?
Selim I took the title 'Servant of the Two Holy Cities' instead of calling himself their ruler.
Timeline
- 24 August 1516The Ottomans win at Marj Dabiq.
- 1516Selim takes Aleppo and Damascus.
- January 1517The Ottomans win at Ridaniya, near Cairo.
- 1517The Mamluk Sultanate ends.