The Mamluks in the Louvre
- MATAHAFI
- Apr 28
- 8 min read
Updated: Jul 1
The Mamluks are storied warriors who seem to come to us from the pages of a fantasy novel. From slaves to sultans, their indomitable spirit continues to inspire and fascinate us, but many do not know that under their watch rose a flowering culture of art. And many would be surprised to learn that after disappearing from history in the Middle Ages, they would reappear in the streets of Paris, marching behind none other than Napoleon Bonaparte.
Now, thanks to a new exhibition at the Louvre, you can see the fruits of the Mamluk Sultanate in person and relive their captivating history.
We are now offering private tours of the exhibition, which can be combined with the general collection for an unforgettable cultural experience in Paris! (Contact us today to book your very own private tour.)
Below, we’ll introduce you to the Mamluks, their history, and their surprising ties to Paris and Napoleon.
Quick Fun Facts About the Mamluks
● Fashionistas: When Napoleon brought the Mamluks to Paris, the Eastern warriors sparked a fashion craze. Their embroidered jackets and turbans were soon fashion cues one could see mimicked in high society.
● Celebrity Bodyguard: Napoleon’s bodyguard, Rousam Raza, was a Mamluk, and he was known throughout Paris due to his severity and mysterious aura.
● Warrior Patrons: Though mostly known for their prowess in battle, the Mamluks oversaw a flourishing of culture in Egypt and Syria during the Middle Ages—largely because of their generous patronage of the arts.
Who Were the Mamluks?
The first step in our investigation is to discover who the Mamluks were. The name itself means “owned” or “slave” in Arabic, but we have to be careful about what this means.
The Mamluks were legendary warriors who fought for Islamic dynasties, particularly those in Egypt, beginning in the early 9th century and lasting all the way into the 19th century.
The Beginning of the Mamluks
It began with the Abbasid caliph al-Muʿtaṣim in Baghdad.
In these early days, their ranks were mostly drawn from Turkic, Caucasian, and Eastern European people. They were captured as children and put into rigorous training for years, producing a cold, vicious, and undeniably elite group of cavalry warriors for Islamic dynasties. With no family and knowing nothing but their martial training, the Mamluks obeyed their masters completely.
It was a brutal system, but it was also incredibly effective at producing the ultimate fighting force.
The Mamluks Rise to Power
But the story of the Mamluks doesn’t stop there. As the 13th century began to dawn, al-ʿĀdil began a campaign of power consolidation in Egypt. He and all of his brothers and nephews he competed with had their own private Mamluk forces, but as al-ʿĀdil continued to win victory after victory, he folded in the conquered Mamluk army to become part of his own. The result? An enormous army that the emperor relied on for his authority.
The army had to be given autonomy due to their sheer size, and many of the Mamluks were drawn into offices in the government.
Once slaves, they were now so close to the throne in one of the world’s most glorious civilizations.
All that was left was to seize power for themselves.
This happened, catalyzed by the French invasion of Egypt in 1249 during the Seventh Crusade. Louis IX of France (see our Sainte Chapelle tour) ordered his troops to take Damietta. During these events, the sultan died, leading to a quick succession to his son. He was quickly assassinated by Mamluks, leaving the role of ruler to his favorite wife Shajar al-Durr. She cultivated Mamluk support behind her and led them to repel the French from the shores of Egypt.
Louis IX was captured and forced to pay an enormous ransom for his return home.
In the aftermath of this heroic feat, Shajar was still pressured to find a man to marry to give the sultanate a male ruler. She chose the Mamluk leader Aybak. He was quickly assassinated, and a power struggle ruptured the throne once again.
This ended with the Mamluk Qutuz rising to take the throne. He ruled for two decades, and though he was also assassinated, Egypt and Syria would remain in Mamluk hands for almost 300 years.
The Mamluk Sultanate and Its End
Though they were notorious as fierce soldiers, the Mamluks reigned with a humanist touch. Under their rule, Cairo became a glittering world capital for the Arts of Islam and culture.
Their patronage led to an incredible flourishing, which we will dive into more later on as we discuss the new Louvre exhibit showing these wonders.
Though the height was magnificent, it was not to last forever.
Their fall came at the sword of the Ottoman Empire in 1517. The Mamluks were kept to rule and administer Ottoman authority in Egypt, but it marked the end of their reign as free leaders.
Enter Napoleon
The German philosopher Hegel once said Napoleon was history on horseback. And indeed, in the story of the Mamluks, he plays up to his image.
Napoleon, not yet emperor, led the Republic of France’s invasion of Egypt in 1798, purportedly an effort to protect trade interests.
The success young Napoleon found built the basis for his reputation as a genius general, and during the Battle of the Pyramids, he almost single-handedly wiped out the Ottoman forces and debuted his version of the infantry square—a cavalry-frustrating formation that allowed simple infantry to effectively fight against the Mamluk forces despite their horses. To get a sense of the success, the French are said to have lost about 300 men in the battle, while the Mamluks lost 10,000.
Joining Napoleon’s Retinue and Arrival in Paris
Though Napoleon succeeded against them, he also admired their strength. And though the Egyptian and Syrian expeditions failed in general (courtesy of the English Navy and their collaboration with Turkish forces), Napoleon returned to France in much better political shape than when he left. He entered France with his own specially recruited Mamluk forces in tow.
They proved to be an enlivening presence to French fashion with their turbans, curved sabers, and embroidered uniforms.
The Mamluk Forces in the Napoleonic Wars
Of course, Napoleon did much more than lead troops for the French Republic. He also rose from his humble origins in Corsica to name himself emperor of France, leading sweeping military campaigns across Europe and beyond that led to the complete political and economic reorganization of the continent and, in many ways, the entire world.
Mamluk forces were essential to his conquering march against the great powers of the time. Most importantly, they played a key role in Napoleon’s victory at Austerlitz, perhaps the crown jewel of his battlefield accomplishments.
Napoleon’s Mamluk Bodyguard
On a more personal note, the Mamluk Roustam Raza from Tiflis, Georgia, served as Napoleon’s personal bodyguard for almost 15 years. During that time, he guarded the Corsican closely, even sleeping across from the emperor’s doorway each night.
His mysterious, ever-present proximity to the emperor led to Roustam gaining fame and notoriety in Paris, becoming something of a celebrity. His colorful Eastern attire and brooding ferocity captured the imagination of the French public.
The Mamluks Come to the Louvre
Though the Mamluks have long since left the streets of Paris and the ranks of the French military, they live on today in Paris at the Louvre Museum. (see our tour)
From April 30 to July 28, 2025, the Louvre will host artworks from the Mamluk Sultanate. Appropriately, it will all take place in the Hall Napoléon!
It’s an opportunity for many Europeans and other visitors to encounter the extraordinary culture of the Mamluk Sultanate for the first time. During the Middle Ages, the Mamluks oversaw a fairly pluralistic society. Women enjoyed more of a public position than in Europe, and Muslim, Jewish, and Christian influences were all free to play a part in the story.
And because the Mamluks reigned over an area including Egypt, Syria, Palestine, and some of Anatolia, the Sultanate also served as a crossroads between East and West, leading to even more influences pouring in to inform the artists and artisans of the era.
The exhibition, curated by Souraya Noujaïm and Carine Juvin, takes place in five sections, presenting 260 works—a collection made up of pieces from the Louvre and international loans.
Here, one can grasp the glory of this often overlooked but vital civilization. The inspiring story of their rise and the undeniable beauty of their visual culture tell a tale worth discovering.
Let’s look at a few of the highlights from the exhibition to get a taste of what you will find.
Baptistery of Saint Louis
Made of brass, gold, and silver, this object is a masterpiece of hammered metal and inlaid finery. It was created by Muhammad ibn al-Zayn, but he did not make it for Saint Louis (King Louis IX). In fact, it has absolutely nothing to do with the monarch.
We do not really know why it was made at all. Conjecture right now suggests it was used for ceremonial washing in the Mamluk court, but there is no definitive evidence. It wound up in France sometime during the 14th or 15th century, and it was used to baptize the boy who would become Louis XIII King of France.
Whatever its purpose, the result is stunning. The battle scene it depicts has such abundant exuberance and precise execution, one can see why the French felt it was only fit for a king!
The Mosque Lamps
Mosque Lamps—which you can find in the permanent collection of the most prestigious museums, including the Louvre and the Met—are enamel-decorated works that once illuminated the grand mosques of medieval Cairo.
These lamps give us an example of Islamic art’s mastery of calligraphy. On most of them, we see blue letters over gold on the top band, with the larger, bottom band showing gold lettering over a blue background. There are often floral patterns that add to the phantasmagoric vision of the lamps.
The intricacy is breathtaking. One can only imagine stepping out from the harsh desert sun into a mosque under the Mamluk sultanate. In the dark, your eyes adjust, resolving on these glimmering lamps.
Gentile Bellini’s Portrait of Sultan Mehmet II
Venetian artist Gentile Bellini completed this masterpiece in 1480. It shows us the Ottoman sultan Mehmet the Conqueror in all his splendor. Bellini played Venetian ambassador to the Ottoman empire, as Mehmet II requested a portrait artist to come and be a member of his court.
By combining stylistic approaches from Europe and the Ottoman Empire, Bellini played diplomat on a canvas. But he also helped to inspire a merging of styles that continued to play out for generations.
It is rare that a single work of art makes such enormous waves, and it is even rarer that you are able to see such a painting in person. It is yet one more reason to visit the Mamluk exhibition at the Louvre!
Rediscover the Mamluks at the Louvre
History has a way of surprising us. When we take a close look at the Mamluks, we are once again amazed.
If you are coming to Paris between April 30 and July 28, 2025, the Louvre’s Mamluk exhibition is a can’t-miss opportunity.
Our private Louvre Exhibit tour gives you the chance to understand the stories behind the pieces and connect the legacy of the Mamluks with the general collection of the world’s greatest art museum.
Special thanks to Julien L. and Jonathan C. .
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