Atlas of Battles

battle, notable, early modern

Battle of Torches

Battle of Torches was a battle fought in 1583 at Derbent, in what is now Russia. Its exact site is not recorded; the atlas places it at Derbent. It was part of the Ottoman–Safavid War, which ran from 1578 to 1590. The recorded result: Ottoman victory. Recorded strength: 20,000 against 50,000+.

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The defeat of Imam Kuli Khan (Safavid General Emam Kulu), who had the support of Georgian troops under Alexander's general Yoram, by Osman Pasha on the Samur in May 1583
The defeat of Imam Kuli Khan (Safavid General Emam Kulu), who had the support of Georgian troops under Alexander's general Yoram, by Osman Pasha on the Samur in May 1583. Dal Mehmed Çelebi (Asafi), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Fought1583
WhereDerbent, Russia42.058N, 48.289E, placed at the location, approximate
OutcomeOttoman victory
BelligerentsOttoman Empire; Crimean Khanate; Lezgins; Tarki Shamkhalate; NogaisagainstSafavid Iran
Casualties and lossesUnknownand10,500+7,500 dead; 3,000+ prisoners
Part ofOttoman–Safavid War1578 to 1590

Where it sits in the Ottoman–Safavid War

Battle of Koyun Gecidi, 1578Siege of Shamakhi, 1578Battle of Shamakhi, 1578Battle of Shahoglu, 1578Siege of Tbilisi, 1579Siege of Tbilisi, 1582Battle of Torches, 1583Battle of Dezful, 1583Battle of Alvar, 1585Capture of Tabriz, 1585Battle of Shanb Ghazan, 1585Battle of Mayan, 1585Siege of Tabriz, 1585Battle of Ganja, 158815781588Battle of Torches, 1583
14 placed engagements of the Ottoman–Safavid War in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

Date1583 (year precision)
to 1583
PlaceDerbent, Russia
42.058N, 48.289E
KindBattle, early modern
Strength20,00050,000+
Casualties and lossesUnknown10,500+7,500 dead; 3,000+ prisoners
Commanders
  • Özdemiroğlu Osman Pasha
  • Hamza Mirza
  • Imam Kulu Khan
Battle of TorchesBattle of TorchesSiege of DerbentSiege of GergebilBattle of GhunibSiege of TarkiSiege of AkhoulgoSiege of GergebilBattle of GhunibSiege of TarkiSiege of AkhoulgoSakiQabalaOğuz100 km42.058N, 48.289E
Placed at Derbent; the exact site is not recorded. with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

Nearest engagements

In the same war

Elsewhere in 1583

Battle of Torches is one of 1,390 engagements of the 16th century in the atlas and one of 350 in present-day Russia.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q4872575, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Battle of Torches, revision 1379051521, 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.