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Historical map · 1200

Map of the Middle East in 1200

In 1200, the historical border data behind our interactive map draws 23 states, empires and other polities in the Middle East. By the land they held inside this region, the largest were the Ayyubid Sultanate, the Ghurid Dynasty and the Great Seljuk Empire. Kimek-Kipchak confederation reached well beyond the Middle East: its whole territory measured about 2.9 million km².

See this map live. The interactive map opens on the Middle East in 1200. Zoom in, move the year slider to watch the borders change, or ask the history guide a question and it draws the answer on the map.

OPEN 1200 ON THE MAP →Ask the history guide about 1200
Atlas map: The Fourth Crusade — The Wrong Ending (1204)
FROM THE ATLAS · THE CRUSADES, CHAPTER 8: THE FOURTH CRUSADE — THE WRONG ENDING (1204)

States and empires in the Middle East in 1200

StateIn this regionWhole stateIn the data
Ayyubid Sultanate Wikipedia2.0 million km²2.0 million km²1177–1249
Ghurid Dynasty Wikipedia1.1 million km²2.1 million km²1152–1209
Great Seljuk Empire Wikipedia989,000 km²989,000 km²1040–1201
Khwarezmid Dynasty Wikipedia436,000 km²492,000 km²1094–1201
Byzantine Empire Wikipedia344,000 km²431,000 km²633–1474
Sultanate of Rum Wikipedia258,000 km²258,000 km²1094–1313
Makuria Wikipedia213,000 km²213,000 km²347–1518
Kingdom of Georgia Wikipedia144,000 km²144,000 km²1010–1802
Kimek-Kipchak confederation Wikipedia143,000 km²2.9 million km²750–1235
Alodia Wikipedia124,000 km²124,000 km²347–1506
Kara-Khitans Wikipedia97,000 km²2.5 million km²1126–1219
Mahdids Wikipedia85,000 km²85,000 km²1169–1506
Second Bulgarian Empire Wikipedia84,000 km²138,000 km²1188–1394
Hamdanid Emirates Wikipedia79,000 km²79,000 km²936–1259
Uyunid Emirate Wikipedia74,000 km²74,000 km²1072–1235
Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia Wikipedia60,000 km²60,000 km²1099–1374
Shirvan Wikipedia42,000 km²42,000 km²825–1539
Zagwe dynasty Wikipedia15,000 km²15,000 km²947–1271
Kingdom of Cyprus Wikipedia11,000 km²11,000 km²1192–1491
Kingdom of Jerusalem Wikipedia8,900 km²8,900 km²1099–1293
Halych-Volhynia occupation Wikipedia7,400 km²407,000 km²1056–1351
Principality of Antioch Wikipedia5,460 km²5,460 km²1099–1271
County of Tripoli Wikipedia3,180 km²3,180 km²1111–1293

"In the data" gives the first and last year the dataset draws the state under this identity; states often existed earlier or later in another form.

What changed since 1100

New on the map: Ayyubid Sultanate, Ghurid Dynasty, Kara-Khitans, Mahdids, Second Bulgarian Empire, Shirvan, Kingdom of Cyprus, County of Tripoli.

Gone from the map: Fatimid Caliphate, Ghaznavid Empire, Najahid Dynasty, Danishmendids, County of Edessa, Ziyadid dynasty, Zurayid dynasty.

What comes next: 1300

Appear by 1300: Allegiance of Ilkhanate to Yuan Dynasty, Mamluk Sultanate, Allegiance of Golden Horde to Yuan Dynasty, Rasulid Dynasty, Ethiopian Empire, Allegiance of Chagatai Khanate to Yuan Dynasty, Bahrani Dynasty, Ifat Sultanate, Empire of Trebizond, Thessaly, Principality of Achaea, Republic of Venice, Duchy of Athens, Kingdom of Serbia, Despotate of Epirus, Republic of Genoa, Duchy of the Archipelago.

Gone by 1300: Ayyubid Sultanate, Ghurid Dynasty, Great Seljuk Empire, Khwarezmid Dynasty, Sultanate of Rum, Kingdom of Georgia, Kimek-Kipchak confederation, Kara-Khitans, Hamdanid Emirates, Uyunid Emirate, Shirvan, Zagwe dynasty, Kingdom of Jerusalem, Halych-Volhynia occupation, Principality of Antioch, County of Tripoli.

Read the history of 1200

Guided atlas chapters set near this date, each with its own map, causes and consequences:

Questions about this map

Which countries were in the Middle East in 1200?

The map data draws 23 states and other polities in the Middle East in 1200. The largest by land were the Ayyubid Sultanate, the Ghurid Dynasty, the Great Seljuk Empire, the Khwarezmid Dynasty and the Byzantine Empire.

What was the largest empire in the Middle East in 1200?

Of the states on this map, Kimek-Kipchak confederation held the most land in total: about 2.9 million km² in the reconstruction used here. Ancient and frontier borders are approximate, so treat areas as estimates.

Can I explore the Middle East in 1200 interactively?

Yes. Open the interactive map at 1200, zoom into any region, move through the years, and ask the history guide questions: it answers in plain words and draws places, armies and borders on the map.

About these borders

The borders come from Cliopatria (v0.2.1, Seshat Global History Databank, CC BY 4.0), the dataset behind our interactive map, with our audited name and border corrections. It records each state's territory year by year from 3400 BC to 2024. Borders before modern surveys are reconstructions: the data draws a state where it held control, and frontier zones, nomadic realms and loose overlordships are approximate. Areas are measured on an equal-area projection. Read how we make our maps.

Middle East in other years

Other regions in 1200