Louis IX captured at Fariskur

April 6, 1250

The French king, too sick to sit his horse, was taken prisoner along with most of his army. He ransomed himself for an enormous sum and the return of Damietta. The Mamluks who held him would soon overthrow their Ayyubid masters in the first great Mamluk coup. Louis bore his captivity with a dignity that deepened his reputation for sanctity and earned even his captors' grudging respect.