Who were the Mamluks?

In 1798, the armies of Napoleon Bonaparte clashed with the remnants of the once powerful and glorious Mamluks of Egypt. The Mamluks rose from slavery to strong rulers and maintained power for centuries. But who are the Mamluks?

What are the Causes of the Yom Kippur War?

At 2pm of October 6, 1973, while Israel observed Yom Kippur, Egyptian guns bombarded Israeli forts along the Suez Canal, while the Syrians attacked Israeli positions within the Golan Heights. The surprise attacks signaled the start of the Arab-Israeli War known as the Yom Kippur War or Ramadan War in Arab states. But what led the two Arab countries to attack Israel? What drove them into starting another conflict in a highly volatile region?