Battle of Marj al-Saffar (1303)

The Battle of Marj al-Saffar, also known as the Battle of Shaqhab, was a decisive battle fought on April 20, 1303, between the Mamluk army of Egypt, led by Sultan an-Nasir Muhammad, and the Mongol army of the Ilkhanate, led by General Qutlugh Shah. The battle took place in the plain of Marj al-Saffar, near Damascus, Syria.

The battle was a major confrontation in the Mamluk-Ilkhanate War, a series of conflicts fought between the Mamluk Sultanate of Egypt and the Mongol Ilkhanate for control of Syria and the Levant. The Ilkhanate, based in Persia, had previously invaded and ravaged the region, but the Mamluks had successfully repulsed them at the Battle of Ain Jalut in 1260.

In 1303, the Ilkhanate launched another major invasion of Syria. The Mamluk Sultan an-Nasir Muhammad mobilized his army and met the Mongols at Marj al-Saffar. The battle was fiercely contested, with both sides suffering heavy losses. Initially, the Mongol forces gained the upper hand, threatening to break the Mamluk lines. However, a determined counterattack by the Mamluk cavalry, coupled with the strategic deployment of reserves, turned the tide of the battle.

The Mongol army suffered a crushing defeat. Qutlugh Shah and many of his high-ranking officers were killed, and the surviving Mongol troops were forced to retreat back across the Euphrates River.

The Battle of Marj al-Saffar was a significant victory for the Mamluks. It effectively ended the Mongol threat to Syria and secured Mamluk control over the region for the next century. The victory also cemented the reputation of an-Nasir Muhammad as a capable military leader and strengthened the Mamluk Sultanate's position as a major power in the Middle East. The battle is considered to be the last major Mongol invasion of the Levant.