TRENDEAtlas of the Sultans · Wars, battles and treaties
Battle · 1578
The Battle of Çıldır was fought on 9 August 1578 during the Ottoman–Safavid War (1578–1590). The battle took place in Çıldır, about 150 km southwest of Tiflis, the capital of the Georgian Kingdom of Kartli.
| Date | August 9, 1578 |
|---|---|
| Location | Çıldır, near Kars, |
| Result | Ottoman victory |
| Territorial changes | The Ottoman army entered Tbilisi and took control of the Georgian Kingdoms of Kartli and Kakheti |
| Belligerents | Ottoman Empire | Safavid Iran Kingdom of Kartli |
|---|---|---|
| Commanders | Osman Pasha Dervis Pasha (Governor of Diyarbakır) | Tokhmaq Khan Ustajlu (Governor of Erevan) Imam Kulu Khan (Governor of Ganja) Kara Khan (WIA) |
| Strength | 300–400 initially, before the reinforcement of Osman Pasha | Safavids: 20,000 Georgians: 7,000 |
| Casualties | 200–400 | 5,000–7,000 killed 3,000 captured and executed |
Although Persians tried to attack Ottoman supply units after the battle, they were forced to retreat and when a bridge was wrecked during this retreat they lost further troops. These defeats left the Caucasus to Ottoman conquest. Lala Mustafa Pasha soon conquered Tiflis, the Georgian capital. The next step was the conquest of Derbent (present Republic of Dagestan in Russia). By this conquest Ottomans were able to reach the Caspian Sea.
Took place during the reign of Murad III (1574–1595). Murad III
The atlas records this territorial change for the year:
Text: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0), adapted for the atlas.