1169008 Syria: King al-Zahir Rukn al-Din Baibars al-Bunduqdari, better known as Sultan Baybars, Mamluk Sultan of Egypt (r. 1260-1277).; (add.info.: Baibars or Baybars (al-Malik al-Zahir Rukn al-Din Baibars al-Bunduqdari, 1223 - July 1, 1277), was a Mamluk Sultan of Egypt. He was one of the commanders of the forces which inflicted a devastating defeat on the Seventh Crusade of King Louis IX of France and he led the vanguard of the Egyptian army at the Battle of Ain Jalut in 1260, which marked the first substantial defeat of the Mongol army and is considered a turning point in history. His reign marked the start of an age of Mamluk dominance in the Eastern Mediterranean and solidified the durability of their military system; end of the Crusader presence in Syria; united Egypt and Syria into one powerful state that was able to fend off threats from both Crusaders and Mongols. The Crusader fortress of Krak des Chevaliers fell to the Mamluk sultan Baibars in 1271.); Pictures from History; out of copyright.