Saladin

Saladin, whose full name was Ṣalāḥ ad-Dīn Yūsuf ibn Ayyūb, was born around 1137 in Tikrit, in present-day Iraq, to a Kurdish family. He grew up in the political world of the Zengid rulers and first served under his uncle Shirkuh. In 1169, Saladin became vizier of Egypt, where he gradually strengthened his own authority. In 1171, he ended the Fatimid caliphate in Egypt and restored allegiance to the Abbasid caliph in Baghdad.

After the death of the Zengid ruler Nur ad-Din in 1174, Saladin expanded his power across Egypt and Syria and eventually founded the Ayyubid dynasty. His main political goal was to unite territories under his control and confront the Crusader states in the eastern Mediterranean. Saladin became especially famous after the Battle of Hattin in July 1187, when his army defeated the forces of the Kingdom of Jerusalem.

Later that year, Jerusalem surrendered to him on 2 October. Unlike the conquest of the city by the First Crusade in 1099, the surrender was negotiated, and many inhabitants were allowed to leave after paying a ransom. Saladin's capture of Jerusalem led to the Third Crusade, during which he faced European rulers including Richard I of England.

After several campaigns, the Treaty of Jaffa in 1192 left Jerusalem under Muslim control while allowing Christian pilgrims access to the city. Saladin died in Damascus in 1193. Medieval and later writers remembered him as a capable ruler and military leader, while modern historians also emphasize his political strategy, administration, and the complex realities of his time.