At a glance
- Era
- The Mongol and Post-Mongol Era
- Region
- Levant & Iraq
- Identifiers
- Wikidata
- Review
- Draft Completeness 2/5 · Help complete it
In time
In space
Map: Natural Earth, public domain · places and route from the graph
The city of Baghdad faced difficult days when the Tatars arrived, but its people persevered with patience and knowledge to rebuild.
In the year 656 AH, the Tatar army led by Hulagu arrived at Baghdad, the Abbasid capital. The event brought an end to the caliphate in Baghdad and harmed its historic libraries, yet other Islamic centers like Cairo and Damascus continued preserving heritage and advancing knowledge.
Storytellers (10–12) read the Explorers text, then cross to the Scholars text.
The Mongol capture of Baghdad under Hulagu in Safar 656 AH (February 1258 CE), resulting in the execution of Caliph al-Musta'sim and the termination of the Abbasid Caliphate in Iraq. A watershed moment in Islamic historiography, it caused profound urban disruption and loss of manuscripts, after which geopolitical and intellectual leadership shifted to Mamluk Cairo, where a symbolic Abbasid caliphate was re-established and the Mongol advance halted at Ayn Jalut.
Overview
The sources say that the Tatars under Hulagu entered Baghdad in 656 AH, and that the caliph al-Musta'sim was killed. This ends the caliphate of Baghdad, by al-Suyuti's count, after about three years and a half. 2
Al-Suyuti's account
Al-Suyuti says that the Tatars reached Baghdad two hundred thousand strong, the caliph's army was routed, and they entered on the day of Ashura. The vizier advised the caliph to placate them, saying he would go out to settle a peace. 2
The vizier then reported from Hulagu that he wished to marry his daughter to the caliph's son. The caliph went out with a group of notables, and the jurists and the men of learning were summoned "to attend the contract", and their necks were struck. The caliph was killed by kicking, and al-Dhahabi says he does not think he was buried. 2
Ibn Khaldun's account
In Ibn Khaldun, Hulagu advanced toward Iraq in 652 AH after taking al-Rayy, Isfahan and Hamadhan, and went for the fortress of Alamut in 655 AH. A letter from Ibn al-Alqami reached him urging him to make for Baghdad. The Muslims were routed before Baghdad, the chief chamberlain was killed, and then al-Musta'sim and those with him came out and were killed. 3
The results
Al-Suyuti says that the last sermon given in Baghdad began with the praise of God "who has destroyed with death the lofty buildings". He says the caliphate was set up in Egypt in 659 AH. 2
The accounts attribute a role in these events to Ibn al-Alqami, and sources assess it differently. The academic views on this are not yet included here.
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Connections
- Had participant
- هولاكو خان· al-Musta'sim bi'llah Abdullah ibn al-Mustansir, last caliph of Baghdad· Vizier Mu'ayyad al-Din al-Alqami
- Occurred at
- Baghdad
People and things also explored
Death of Caliph al-Mustansir Billah and accession of al-Musta'sim in 640· The Nizamiyya Madrasa of Baghdad· Bayt al-Hikma — the House of Wisdom· The 'Adudi Bimaristan· al-Bimaristan al-Muqtadiri· Bimaristan al-Sayyida· Dar al-'Ilm of Baghdad (Sabur's library)· The Jami' al-Qati'a of Baghdad
Sources
- Tarikh al-Khulafa — al-Suyuti (Dar al-Minhaj edition) , p. 715-721
- Tarikh al-Khulafa — al-Suyuti (Dar al-Minhaj edition) , p.715-721
- Kitab al-Ibar of Ibn Khaldun , p.900-901
Cite this page
islam.museum contributors. “The Tatar sack of Baghdad and the killing of al-Musta'sim”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/event/sack-of-baghdad-656/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Last updated 2026-10-25.