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The Time The Tigris River Ran Black With Ink
A myth from one of humanity’s greatest tragedies
The destruction of Baghdad at the hands of the Mongols in 1258 CE is one of the darkest days in human history. The sack of Baghdad should rank alongside the burning of the library at Alexandria, the fall of Rome, and the conquest of Constantinople. The year 1258 should be synonymous with 476 and 1453. Unfortunately, in the west, it has never attained the level of infamy it deserves.
The sack of Baghdad tore out the vibrant heart of Medieval Islam. It killed or displaced hundreds of thousands of people, and it brought such ruin to the region that it would take generations to heal.
Like the Library of Alexandria, it is impossible to know exactly what humanity lost during the siege. In 1258, at the time of the Mongol invasion, Islamic thinkers were masters of algebra, unique architectural design, poetry, and astronomy. They had kerosene, mechanical flywheels, accurate mercury-powered clocks, fountain pens, astrolabes, and sextants.
Much of the literature, knowledge, notes, and histories of this time and place were stored in the great city of Baghdad. And the Mongols did their best to destroy it all.
