Sack of Aleppo (1400)

The Sack of Aleppo was a major event in 1400 during the war between the Timurid Empire and Mamluk Sultanate.

Sack of Aleppo (1400)
Date October/November 1400 Location Aleppo, modern day Syria Result Timurid victory, sack of Aleppo
Belligerents
Timurid Empire	Mamluk Sultanate
Commanders and leaders
Timur	Tamardash

History

In 1400, Timur's forces invaded Armenia and Georgia, then they took Sivas, Malatya and Aintab. Later on, Timur's forces advanced towards Aleppo with caution, where they tended to construct a fortified camp each night as they approach the city. The Mamluks decided to fight an open battle outside the city walls. After two days of skirmishing, Timur's cavalry moved swiftly in arc shapes to attack the flanks of their enemy lines, while his center including elephants from India held firm.[1] Fierce cavalry attacks forced the Mamluks led by Tamardash, governor of Aleppo, to break and flee towards the city gates.[2] Afterwards, Timur took Aleppo,[lower-alpha 1] then he massacred many of the inhabitants, ordering the building of a tower of 20,000 skulls outside the city.[2]

Aftermath

After the sack of Aleppo, Timur's forces went south where they took Hama, along with nearby Homs and Baalbek,[4] until they reached Damascus which was also sacked after defeating Mamluk forces led by Nasir-ad-Din Faraj.

Notes

1. Timur entered Aleppo either in October[3] or November.[1]

References

1. "Battle of Aleppo". Britannica.
2. "The Seven Years Campaign, Part 2: War with the Mamluks". everything2.com. 22 February 2003.
3. Tucker 2011, p. 140.
4. Guy le Strange (1890). Palestine Under the Moslems: A Description of Syria and the Holy Land from A.D. 650 to 1500. Committee of the Palestine Exploration Fund. p. xxiii.

Bibliography

• Tucker, Spencer C. (2011). Battles That Changed History: An Encyclopedia of World Conflict. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 978-1-59884-429-0.