In early 1258 a Mongol army led by Hulegu, a grandson of Genghis Khan, besieged Baghdad, the capital of the Abbasid Caliphate. Hulegu had spent years moving west after his brother Möngke became Khan in 1251, and had destroyed the Nizari Ismaili Assassins in 1256. He grew angry when Caliph al-Musta'sim failed to send reinforcements and was arrogant in negotiations, so he moved against Baghdad in late 1257. The Mongols breached the walls within days, and the caliph surrendered on February 10. They then looted the city, and al-Musta'sim was executed after an amnesty. Hundreds of thousands are thought to have died, though the total is uncertain, and later epidemics added to the toll. The fall has traditionally been seen as the end of the Islamic Golden Age, although its long-term impact is debated, since Baghdad recovered under Mongol rule.

Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Karnataka, India, with more than 1,600 surviving remains spread over 4,100 hectares. It was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1336 to 1565. Travellers from Persia and Portugal described it as a prosperous, wealthy and grand city with temples, markets and farms along the Tungabhadra River. By 1500 it was estimated to be the world's second-largest city after Beijing, and probably India's richest at the time. In 1565 a coalition of Muslim sultanates defeated the Vijayanagara Empire, its capital was conquered and destroyed, and the city was left in ruins. Hampi remains a religious centre, with the active Virupaksha Temple at its heart.