Atlas of Battles

siege, landmark, medieval

Siege of Baghdad

Siege of Baghdad was a siege conducted on 29 January 1258 at Baghdad, in what is now Iraq; it lasted 12 days. It was part of the Mongol invasion of Persia and Mesopotamia, which ran from 1219 to 1258. The recorded result: Mongol victory. Recorded strength: 138,000–300,000, including auxiliaries from Armenia, Georgia, China and elsewhere against 50,000.

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Mongols besieging Baghdad in 1258
Mongols besieging Baghdad in 1258. Sayf al-vâhidî et al., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Fought29 January 1258lasted 12 days
WhereBaghdad, Iraq33.347N, 44.335E
OutcomeMongol victory
BelligerentsIlkhanateagainstAbbasid Caliphate
Part ofMongol invasion of Persia and Mesopotamia1219 to 1258

Where it sits in the Mongol invasion of Persia and Mesopotamia

Battle of Gorgan, 1223Siege of Isfahan, 1228Battle of Amid, 1231Sack of Erbil, 1236Siege of Erbil (1258), 1258Siege of Baghdad, 125812231258Siege of Baghdad, 1258
6 placed engagements of the Mongol invasion of Persia and Mesopotamia in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

Date29 January 1258
to 10 February 1258
PlaceBaghdad, Iraq
33.347N, 44.335E
KindSiege, medieval
Territorial changeMongol annexation of Mesopotamia; Fall of the Abbasid Caliphate
Strength138,000–300,000, including auxiliaries from Armenia, Georgia, China and elsewhere50,000
Casualties and losses200,000 killed (according to Hulegu); 800,000–2,000,000 killed (Muslim sources)
Commanders
  • Hulegu Khan
  • Baiju Noyan
  • Kitbuqa
  • Guo Kan
  • Zakare III Zakarian
  • Pŕosh Khaghbakian
  • Al-Musta'sim
  • Muhammad ibn al-Alqami
Siege of BaghdadSiege of BaghdadSiege of BaghdadCapture of BaghdadCapture of Baghdad (1638)Capture of BaghdadSiege of Baghdad (1733)Siege of BaghdadAl HillahKarbalaAl KutBaqubahAl FallujahQasr-e ShirinAl MusayyibMandali100 km33.347N, 44.335E
The recorded site, with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

The ground today

Relief of the ground around the site of Siege of Baghdad
Relief within about 10.0 km of the site, contours every 10 m. Copernicus DEM GLO-30, ESA.
Satellite view of the site of Siege of Baghdad today
The same ground from Sentinel-2 on 2024-09-07. Contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data 2024.

The recorded site stands at about 39 m; within 10.0 km the ground runs from 25 to 101 m, 76 m of relief, gently rolling country and today it is 82% built-up, 8% bare ground, 7% tree cover.

built-up: 82%bare ground: 8%tree cover: 7%water: 2%built-up 82%bare ground 8%tree cover 7%water 2%
west to east, 10.0 km28 to 47 mnorth to south, 10.0 km28 to 42 m
Elevation from the Copernicus DEM GLO-30 (ESA, Airbus); land cover from ESA WorldCover 2021 (CC BY 4.0), within about 5 km of the recorded site. Computed, not recorded.

Nearest engagements

Contested ground: this site was fought over 12 times between AD 812 and 1991.

In the same war

Elsewhere in 1258

Siege of Baghdad is one of 590 engagements of the 13th century in the atlas and one of 173 in present-day Iraq.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q369560, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Siege of Baghdad, revision 1384464576, read 2026-11-14, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the article's text is not reproduced here. Present-day country and state from Natural Earth. Dates before 1582 follow the Julian calendar as recorded.