Saladin

Lore & Background

Saladin began his military career under his uncle Shirkuh, a Kurdish mercenary commander serving the Zengid ruler Nur ad-Din. In 1164, he was sent to Fatimid Egypt to help restore Shawar as vizier. After Shawar's assassination and Shirkuh's death in 1169, Saladin was appointed vizier by the Fatimid caliph al-Adid. A Sunni Muslim, Saladin undermined the Fatimid establishment and, after al-Adid's death in 1171, abolished the Cairo-based Fatimid Caliphate, realigning Egypt with the Sunni Abbasid Caliphate in Baghdad.

Following Nur ad-Din's death in 1174, Saladin conquered Syria, entering Damascus peacefully and later defeating the Zengids at the Battle of the Horns of Hama in 1175. He was proclaimed Sultan of Egypt and Syria by the Abbasid caliph al-Mustadi. By 1182, he had completed the conquest of Syria after capturing Aleppo, though he failed to take Mosul. In 1187, his army decisively defeated the Crusaders at the Battle of Hattin, capturing Jerusalem and re-establishing Muslim dominance in the Levant.

Reader's Guide

Saladin's significance lies in his unification of Egypt and Syria under the Ayyubid dynasty and his pivotal role in the Third Crusade. His victory at Hattin in 1187 marked a turning point, ending Crusader control of Jerusalem and shifting the balance of power in the Levant. Though the Kingdom of Jerusalem persisted until the late 13th century, Saladin's campaigns reasserted Muslim military dominance. He is remembered for his piety, support of Sufism, and devotion to jihad, as well as his patronage of madrasas and khanqahs. His legacy extends across Kurdish, Turkic, Arab, and Western cultures, and he is frequently described as the most famous Kurdish figure in history. Saladin died in Damascus in 1193, having given away much of his personal wealth, and is buried in a mausoleum adjacent to the Umayyad Mosque.

Did You Know?

• Saladin was born the same night his family left Tikrit after his uncle killed a friend of the military governor.
• He spoke Kurdish and Arabic, and knew Turkish and Persian.
• He ordered the execution of the Sufi philosopher Yahya al-Suhrawardi in 1191.
• At the height of his power, the Ayyubid realm spanned Egypt, Syria, Upper Mesopotamia, the Hejaz, Yemen, and Nubia.

Notable Quotes (Wikiquote)

"This is a victory opening the gates of men’s hearts." — Saladin "Children are brought up in the way in which their elders were brought up." — Saladin