▁enemy ▁art illery ▁and ▁thereby ▁prevent ▁them ▁from ▁bre aching ▁the ▁walls . ▁ ▁After ▁Al - Ad il ' s ▁death ▁in ▁ 1 2 1 8 , ▁inten se ▁power ▁strugg les ▁ ▁broke ▁out ▁among ▁his ▁sons ▁and ▁other ▁A yy ub id ▁princes . ▁Between ▁ 1 2 2 9 ▁and ▁ 1 2 4 6 , ▁Dam asc us ▁switched ▁hands ▁regularly ▁and ▁was ▁attacked ▁five ▁times ▁by ▁different ▁A yy ub id ▁arm ies . ▁During ▁this ▁period , ▁the ▁cit adel ▁was ▁only ▁once ▁taken ▁by ▁force — through ▁min ing ▁of ▁one ▁of ▁its ▁walls — in ▁ 1 2 3 9 . ▁This ▁occurred ▁when ▁the ▁cit adel ' s ▁g arrison ▁had ▁been ▁reduced ▁to ▁below ▁the ▁number ▁needed ▁to ▁defend ▁a ▁castle ▁of ▁that ▁size . ▁Following ▁the ▁murder ▁in ▁ 1 2 5 0 ▁of ▁Al - M u azz am ▁Tur ans h ah , ▁the ▁last ▁A yy ub id ▁s ultan ▁of ▁Egypt , ▁Dam asc us ▁was ▁seized ▁by ▁the ▁A yy ub id ▁r uler ▁of ▁Ale ppo , ▁An - N as ir ▁Y us uf . ▁He ▁was ▁in ▁control ▁of ▁most ▁of ▁Sy ria ▁until ▁the ▁arrival ▁of ▁the ▁Mong ols . ▁ ▁When ▁the ▁Mong ols ▁inv aded ▁Sy ria ▁and ▁threatened ▁Dam asc us ▁after ▁conqu ering ▁Ale ppo ▁in ▁ 1 2 6 0 , ▁An - N as ir ▁fled ▁from ▁Dam asc us , ▁leaving ▁the ▁city ▁virt