Saladin
Sultan
"My enemies are not the pilgrims but those who bring war."โ Later tradition reflects his distinction between peaceful visitors and armed invaders.
Biography
แนขalฤแธฅ ad-Dฤซn Yลซsuf ibn Ayyลซb, known in the West as Saladin, began his career under his uncle Shirkuh in the service of the Zengids in Syria.
He rose to power in Egypt, eventually ending the Fatimid Caliphate and founding the Ayyubid dynasty, which ruled in the name of the Sunni Abbasid caliphs.
Saladin gradually united Egypt, Syria, and other territories, focusing on both governance and preparation for a renewed struggle with the Crusader states.
In 1187 he won a decisive victory at the Battle of Hattin, capturing or killing much of the Crusader leadership and opening the way to retake Jerusalem. His treatment of civilians and prisoners contrasted sharply with the brutality of some earlier Crusades, helping to shape his enduring image as a just ruler.
Although he fought Richard the Lionheart during the Third Crusade and prevented the Crusaders from retaking Jerusalem, a negotiated settlement allowed Christian pilgrimage while leaving the city in Muslim hands.