Battle of Al-Qahira (1569)

Battle of Al-Qahira It is the clash between Osman Pasha and Sinan Pasha and Al-Mutahhar during the invasion launched by the Ottomans in 1569 to gain control over Yemen. ^[1]

Departing Egypt, Osman Pasha marched on Yemen, taking with him 3,000-4,000 soldiers and the Red Sea fleet captain Hızır Reis. Setting out from Suez with 17 ships, Osman Pasha stopped at Jeddah, disembarked the cavalry, and ordered them to advance south by land. He himself landed at Hudaydah with the infantry.^[2]

Osman Pasha marched on Taiz, which had been under Yemeni occupation for 10 months, and conquered the city. Following Osman Pasha's first military victory in Yemen, he laid siege to the Al-Qahira fortress, a strategically important mountaintop fortification in the region close to Taiz. However, during this siege, Saladin, the castle's keeper, reinforced the castle's defenses, while the sons of Ibn Shawi and Mutahhar, arriving from the provinces with a large army, attacked Osman Pasha's forces, putting the Ottoman forces in a difficult position.^[3] Osman Pasha, a powerful commander, continued his struggle despite being caught between two fires.^[4] The Ottoman troops, further weakened by the tightening of the siege, were exhausted by hunger and thirst, and many perished. The martyrdom of several of the commanders, in particular, had a profound psychological impact on the army. Just when the army was desperately forced to make peace, Sinan Pasha came to the rescue like a divine providence (April 29, 1569). Sinan Pasha's arrival near Taiz with his army gave Osman Pasha a sigh of relief. Faced with new developments, Al-Mutahhar gathered his camp and retreated to Sana'a. As a result, the Ottoman army gained considerable booty, and the castle guard surrendered without hesitation. Thus, the city of Taiz was secured. ^[5]