Editing 1258 (section)

==== Mongol Empire ====
* [[February 10]] &ndash; [[Siege of Baghdad (1258)|Siege of Baghdad]]: Mongol forces (some 150,000 men), led by [[Hulagu Khan]], besiege and conquer [[Baghdad]] after a siege of 13 days. During the first week of February, the eastern walls begin to collapse, and the Mongols swarm into the city, on [[February 10]]. Caliph [[Al-Musta'sim]] surrenders himself to Hulagu – together with all the Abbasid chief officers and officials. They are ordered to lay down their arms, and are massacred. Hulagu imprisons Al-Musta'sim among his treasures, to starve him to death. Meanwhile, massacres continue throughout the whole city; in 40 days about 80,000 citizens are murdered. The only survivors are the ones who are hiding in cellars which are not discovered, and a number of attractive girls and boys who are kept to be slaves, and the Christian community, who take refuge in the churches which are left undisturbed, by the special orders of Hulagu's wife, [[Doquz Khatun]].<ref>[[Steven Runciman]] (1952). ''A History of The Crusades. Vol III: Kingdom of Acre'', p. 253. {{ISBN|978-0-241-29877-0}}.</ref> 
* [[February 15]] &ndash; Hulagu Khan enters Baghdad, where many quarters of the city are ruined by fire. The [[House of Wisdom]] (or Great Library) is destroyed, numerous precious book collections are thrown into the [[Tigris|Tigris River]]. Before the siege, about 400,000 manuscripts are rescued by [[Nasir al-Din al-Tusi]], Persian [[polymath]] and theologian, who takes them to [[Maragheh observatory]] (located in [[East Azerbaijan province|East Azerbaijan Province]]). The sack of Baghdad brings an end to the [[Abbasid Caliphate]] (750–1258) and the [[Islamic Golden Age]]. Many professors, physicians, scientists, clerics, artists and lecturers are also massacred.