Mongol Invasions of the Levant

In this episode, we focus on the Mongol invasions of the Levant, tracing Hulagu Khan’s mid-13th-century campaigns from the destruction of the Ismaili strongholds and the fall of Baghdad to the capture of key Syrian cities such as Aleppo and Damascus. The episode explores how Ayyubid rulers, Crusader states, and emerging Mamluk power brokers responded to the Ilkhanid threat through shifting alliances, diplomacy, and military resistance. At the center is the Battle of ‘Ain Jalut, where the Mamluks halted Mongol expansion and reshaped the balance of power across the Middle East, marking a turning point in both Islamic and Mediterranean history.