Saladin
Sultan of Egypt and Syria; founder of the Ayyubid dynasty
"I warn you against shedding blood, for blood that is spilt never sleeps."
Biography
Salah ad-Din Yusuf ibn Ayyub — Saladin to the West — was the Kurdish general who united Egypt and Syria, founded the Ayyubid dynasty, and became the greatest of the Muslim commanders against the Crusaders. Rising in the service of the Zengid ruler Nur ad-Din, he made himself master of Egypt, then of Damascus and Aleppo, forging the encircling power that the divided Crusader States could not withstand. In 1187 he destroyed the army of the Kingdom of Jerusalem at the Horns of Hattin and retook Jerusalem itself — but, in pointed contrast to the crusaders' massacre of 1099, he spared the city's inhabitants and allowed them to ransom themselves. His chivalry, generosity, and restraint won the admiration even of his enemies, including Richard the Lionheart, against whom he fought the Third Crusade to a negotiated standstill. He died in Damascus in 1193, having given away most of his wealth in charity, leaving too little to pay for his own funeral.
Did you know?
His reputation for chivalry so impressed medieval Europe that he appears as a noble figure in Dante and in countless later Western legends.
Key Battles
Battle of Hattin
Muslim States (Seljuk, Ayyubid, Mamluk) victoryJuly 4, 1187 · 20,000 total casualties
Hattin was the most catastrophic defeat in Crusader history. With its army destroyed, the kingdom lay defenseless, and within months Saladin had retaken Jerusalem and nearly the entire Latin East. The disaster shocked Europe and triggered the Third Crusade.
Life Journey
Timeline
1137
🌅 Birth
Born at Tikrit into a Kurdish family
1171
📍 Posting
Becomes master of Egypt; founds the Ayyubid dynasty
July 4, 1187
⚔️ Battle
Annihilates the Crusader army at Hattin
October 1187
📍 Posting
Retakes Jerusalem, sparing its inhabitants
March 4, 1193
✝️ Death
Dies in Damascus