Atlas of Battles

battle, landmark, medieval

Battle of Ankara

Battle of Ankara was a battle fought on 20 July 1402 at Çubuk Ovası, in what is now Turkey. It was part of Timurid conquests and invasions, which ran from 1369 to 1426. The recorded result: Timurid victory. Recorded strength: 140,000 against 85,000–120,000.

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Timur Review His Troops Before the Battle of Ankara, Zafarnama 1436
Timur Review His Troops Before the Battle of Ankara, Zafarnama 1436. 1436 painting, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Fought20 July 1402
WhereÇubuk Ovası, Turkey40.150N, 32.950E
OutcomeTimurid victory
BelligerentsTimurid EmpireagainstOttoman Empire; Anatolian beyliks; Black Tatars; Moravian Serbia; District of Branković; Principality of Kastrioti; Principality of Jonima
Casualties and losses15,000–40,000and40,000–50,000
Part ofTimurid conquests and invasionsTimurid invasion of the Ottoman Empire

Where it sits in Timurid conquests and invasions

Battle of the Stone Bridge, 1363Battle of the Mire, 1365Siege of Balkh, 1370Siege of Urgench, 1379Siege of Herat, 1381Timurid invasions of Georgia, 1386Timurid invasions of Simsim, 1386Battle of Chapakchur, 1387Battle of Muş, 1387Siege of Isfahan, 1387Siege of Alinja, 13881393 Persian Iraq and Kurdistan raid, 1393Siege of Sirjan, 1393Battle of Shiraz, 1393Siege of Baghdad, 1393Battle of Qara-Derrah Pass, 1395Battle of Ushkudzhe, 1395Siege of Multan, 1398Siege of Bhatner, 1398Battle of Alinja, 1399Battle of Aleppo, 1400Siege of Damascus, 1400Siege of Baghdad, 1401Battle of Algami Canal, 1402Timurid invasion of the Ottoman Empire, 1402Siege of Ankara, 1402Battle of Ankara, 1402Siege of Smyrna, 1402Battle of Nakhchivan, 1406Battle of Alashkert, 142113631421Battle of Ankara, 1402
30 placed engagements of Timurid conquests and invasions in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

Date20 July 1402
PlaceÇubuk Ovası, Turkey
40.150N, 32.950E
KindBattle, medieval
Strength140,00085,000–120,000
Casualties and losses15,000–40,00040,000–50,000
Commanders
  • Timur
  • Miran Shah
  • Shah Rukh
  • Muhammad Sultan Mirza
  • Pir Muhammad (son of Jahangir)
  • Khalil Sultan
  • Bayezid I
  • Süleyman Çelebi
  • Mehmed I
  • Stefan Lazarević
  • Vuk Lazarević
  • Đurađ Branković
Battle of AnkaraBattle of AnkaraBattle of the River AmniasSiege of ClaudiopolisSiege of ManzikertBattle of the Zompe BridgeSiege of HeracleaBattle of the River AmniasSiege of ClaudiopolisSiege of ManzikertBattle of the Zompe BridgeSiege of HeracleaAnkaraKırıkkaleCorumPolatlıKırşehirYozgatÇankırı100 km40.150N, 32.950E
The recorded site, with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

The ground today

Relief of the ground around the site of Battle of Ankara
Relief within about 10.0 km of the site, contours every 50 m. Copernicus DEM GLO-30, ESA.
Satellite view of the site of Battle of Ankara today
The same ground from Sentinel-2 on 2023-08-04. Contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data 2023.

The recorded site stands at about 965 m; within 10.0 km the ground runs from 0 to 1,308 m, 1,308 m of relief, mountainous country and today it is 77% cropland, 16% grassland, 4% built-up.

cropland: 77%grassland: 16%built-up: 4%bare ground: 3%cropland 77%grassland 16%built-up 4%bare ground 3%
west to east, 10.0 km0 to 1,067 mnorth to south, 10.0 km939 to 1,100 m
Elevation from the Copernicus DEM GLO-30 (ESA, Airbus); land cover from ESA WorldCover 2021 (CC BY 4.0), within about 5 km of the recorded site. Computed, not recorded.

Nearest engagements

In the same war

Elsewhere in 1402

Battle of Ankara is one of 743 engagements of the 15th century in the atlas and one of 687 in present-day Turkey.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q209387, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Battle of Ankara, revision 1385366682, read 2026-11-14, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the article's text is not reproduced here. Present-day country and state from Natural Earth. Dates before 1582 follow the Julian calendar as recorded.