The Mamluk dynasty existed from approximately 1250 to 1517 A.D. The Mamluks were slave soldiers from Central Asia who earned their freedom and became rulers of a dynasty ruling Syria, Iraq, Egypt, and Turkey, which lasted 250 years. Their rulers were known for patronage of the arts, thus this was the most prolific and influential period for Islamic art. Because of the demand and other influences, there was a revival of many types of Mamluk artifacts during the 19th and early 20th centuries.