Battle of Marj Dabiq

Overview

The Battle of Marj Dābiq, a decisive military engagement in Middle Eastern history, was fought on 24 August 1516, near the town of Dabiq, 44 km north of Aleppo. The battle was part of the 1516–17 war between the Ottoman Empire and the Mamluk Sultanate, which ended in an Ottoman victory and conquest of much of the Middle East and brought about the destruction of the Mamluk Sultanate. The Ottoman victory in the battle gave Selim's armies control of the entire region of Syria and opened the door to the conquest of Egypt.

Overview adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Significance

The Battle of Marj Dabiq, fought on 24 August 1516 near Dabiq, 44 km north of Aleppo, was one of the decisive engagements of the Ottoman–Mamluk War of 1516–17. Two roughly matched forces — the Ottomans fielding approximately 60,000 troops and the Mamluks between 60,000 and 80,000 — clashed in a battle whose outcome gave Selim I's armies control of the entire region of Syria and opened the path to the conquest of Egypt. The battle thus served as the principal turning point of a war that ended in the destruction of the Mamluk Sultanate and the Ottoman absorption of much of the Middle East. What had been the Mamluk realm — stretching from Syria through Egypt — passed into Ottoman hands as a direct consequence of the engagement, marking a fundamental realignment of power across the region.

Forces & casualties

Commanders (7)