The following sentence is in the Biography section: "Both Baybars, who witnessed his parents being massacred, and Baysari were among the captives during the invasion and were sold into slavery in the Sultanate of Rum at the slave market in Sivas." The source cited for the statement that Baybars witnessed his parents being massacred is "Ranulph Fiennes (2019). The Elite: The Story of Special Forces – From Ancient Sparta to the War on Terror. Simon and Schuster. p. 64."
I looked at this source, and it does not provide a direct citation for this statement. It only lists, at the end of the book, a general list of sources drawn on for the section on the Mamluks. I can't find many other areas where this is referenced in a better, more academic source.
I personally don't see enough good evidence that Baybars literally saw his parents murdered in front of him. If there is a better source, then that is great, and that should be referenced. I don't think the Fiennes reference is sufficiently academic, as it leans heavily towards a dramatic and creative angle throughout the book.
Instead of making the change and removing that line myself, though, I thought I would start a discussion here, as I am not very familiar with the subject. Sunimilbus (talk) 10:46, 6 May 2026 (UTC)Reply
level-4 vital article is rated B-class on Wikipedia's content assessment scale.
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