The Mongolians, led by Timur the Great, destroyed Damascus (in today's Syria) in 1400. At the time, Damascus was a rival city to Venice with regard to glass production. When the city's infrastructure was demolished, the glassmakers of Demascus, in order to continue their trade with the best tools, fled to Venice. The glass industry in Venice was already growing rapidly, but this influx of artists contributed to Venice's achieving its glass glory in the late 15th century. The photo of Timur the Great is Public Domain according to Wikipedia.