al-Zahir Baybars

al-Malik al-Zahir Rukn al-Din Baybars al-Bunduqdari (625–676 AH / 1223–1277 CE) was the fourth Mamluk Sultan of Egypt and one of the most important rulers in medieval Islamic history. A Turkic slave-soldier who rose to become sultan, he is best remembered for two historic achievements: decisively defeating the Mongols at the Battle of Ain Jalut (658 AH / 1260 CE), which halted the Mongol advance into the Islamic heartland; and systematically dismantling the remaining Crusader states in the Levant. He also established postal relay systems across Egypt and Syria, promoted trade, and revived the Abbasid caliphate in Cairo after the Mongols destroyed Baghdad.