 Another link between Europe and the Mongols was attempted in 1290 , when the Genoese endeavored to assist the Mongols with naval operations . The plan was to construct and man two galleys to attack Mamluk ships in the Red Sea , and operate a blockade of Egypt 's trade with India . As the Genoese were traditional supporters of the Mamluks , this was a major shift in policy , apparently motivated by the attack of the Egyptian Sultan Qalawun on the Cilician Armenians in 1285 . To build and man the fleet , a squadron of 800 Genoese carpenters , sailors and crossbowmen went to Baghdad , working on the Tigris . However , due to a feud between the Guelphs and Ghibellines , the Genoese soon degenerated into internal bickering , and killed each other in Basra , putting an end to the project . Genoa finally cancelled the agreement and signed a new treaty with the Mamluks instead . 
