10 Facts About Aybak

Izz al-Din Aybak was the first of the Mamluk sultans of Egypt in the Turkic Bahri line.

Aybak raised to the position of Emir and worked as a Jashnkir and used the rank of a Khawanja.

Until then, Aybak relied foremost on four Mamluks: Faris ad-Din Aktai, Baibars al-Bunduqdari, Qutuz and Bilban al-Rashidi.

Nevertheless, the actual power in Egypt was still exercised by Aybak, who had returned to his position of atabak.

In 1254, in a conspiracy with Qutuz and a few Mamluks, Aybak invited Aktai to the citadel and had him murdered.

Aybak plundered the properties of the Bahriyya Mamluks and retracted Alexandria which Aktai controlled as own domain since 1252.

Now Aybak was the absolute and sole ruler of Egypt and parts of Syria, but shortly afterwards he settled a new agreement with an-Nasir Yusuf, which limited his power to Egypt only.

In 1255 a new rebellion led by his namesake Izz al-Din Aybak al-Afram arose in upper Egypt and forces of an-Nasir Yusuf arrived to the Egyptian border, this time accompanied by the Bahriyya Mamluks who had fled to Syria, including Baibars al-Bunduqdari and Qalawun al-Alfi.

Shajar al-Durr, who already had disputes with Aybak felt betrayed by the man who she made sultan, and had him murdered after he had ruled Egypt seven years.

Aybak was not liked nor respected by the Egyptians though he was remembered by the historian as a courageous and generous Sultan.