The Georgian sack of Dvin (599 AH)
ملك الكرج مدينة دوين
1203 CE · 599 AH
599: the Georgians stormed Dvin in Azerbaijan, sacked it and massacred its people — while its Atabeg Abu Bakr ibn al-Pahlawan, the last Eldiguzid ruler of Azerbaijan, 'occupied with drink night and day', ignored years of pleas from the border towns. Ibn al-Athir writes that reports of the killing and enslavement made skins shudder 1.
At a glance
- Era
- The Crusades, Ayyubids and Mamluks
- Region
- Persia & Central Asia
- Review
- Draft Completeness 1/5 · Help complete it
In time
Overview
In 599 AH the Georgians took the city of Dvin in Azerbaijan, plundered it and killed many of its people, according to Ibn al-Athir. 2
Background of the siege
The city and the land of Azerbaijan belonged to the prince Abu Bakr ibn al-Pahlawan. Ibn al-Athir describes him as occupied with drinking night and day, paying no attention to his subjects. The inhabitants cried out to him for help many times, and he did not help them. 2
When the siege dragged on, the people of Dvin weakened, and the Georgians took them by force with the sword. Ibn al-Athir says that what he was told of the killing and the captivity makes the skin shudder. 2
Connections
- Had participant
- Abu Bakr ibn al-Pahlawan
People and things also explored
Sources
- al-Kamil fi'l-Tarikh of Ibn al-Athir, p. 283-284
- al-Kamil fi'l-Tarikh of Ibn al-Athir, p.283-284
Cite this page
islam.museum contributors. “The Georgian sack of Dvin (599 AH)”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/event/georgians-sack-dvin-599/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Accessed 2026-10-17.