Military organization[edit]On a general level, the military during the Bahri dynasty can be divided into several aspects1.Mamluks: the core of both the political and military base, these slave soldiers were further divided into Khassaki (comparable to imperial guards), Royal Mamluks ( Mamluks directly under the command of the Sultan) and regular Mamluks (usually assigned to localAmirs).2.Al-Halqa: the primarily free born professional forces, they are also directly under the sultan's command.3.Wafidiyya: These are Turks and Mongols that migrated to the dynasty's border after the Mongol invasion, typically given land grants in exchange for military service, they are well regarded forces.4.Other levies: PrimarilyBedouintribes, but also on different occasions also different groups ofTurkomansand other settled Arabs.Medieval Cairon 1250 slave soldiers, known as theMamluks, seized control of Egypt and like many of their predecessors established Cairo as the capital oftheir new dynasty. Continuing a practice started by the Ayyubids, much of the land occupied by former Fatimid palaces was sold and replaced by newer buildings.[24]Construction projects initiated by the Mamluks pushed the city outward while also bringing new infrastructure to the centre of the city.[25]Meanwhile, Cairo flourished as a centre ofIslamic scholarshipand a crossroads on thespice traderoute among the civilisations inAfro-Eurasia. By 1340, Cairo had a population of close to half a million, making it the largest city west ofChina.[26]Equipment[edit]Turkish Bow[edit]TheTurkish bowis arecurvedcompositebowused in theOttoman Empire. The construction is similar to that of other classic Asiaticcomposite bows, with a wooden core (maple was most desirable), animal horn on the belly (the side facing the archer), and sinew on the front, with the layers secured together withAnimal glue. However, several features of the Turkish bow are distinct. The curvature tends to be more extreme when the bow is unstrung, with the limbs curling forward into the shape of the letter "C". With some bows, the rigid tips of the limbs ("kasan") even touch. The grip area is not recessed like other Asianic bows and is fa