Establishment of the Mamluk Sultanate

The Mamluks, former slave-soldiers, seized power in Egypt following the death of the Ayyubid sultan. The Mamluk Sultanate would rule Egypt and Syria for over 250 years, stopping the Mongol advance at Ain Jalut, recapturing the remaining Crusader fortresses, and becoming the protectors of the holy cities of Mecca and Medina.