Saladin
Great PeopleFrom Tikrit to Sultan of Egypt and Syria
Salah ad-Din Yusuf ibn Ayyub — 'Saladin' in the West — was born around 1137 in Tikrit, in what is now Iraq, into a family of Kurdish descent. His name means 'Righteousness of the Faith.' He rose through devoted service to the Muslim rulers of Syria and Egypt to become one of the most celebrated leaders in Islamic history.
From vizier to sultan
Saladin first gained power in Egypt, where he became vizier in 1169. After the death of his overlord Nur ad-Din, he took power as sultan in 1174 and spent years bringing Egypt and Syria under one rule. In doing so he founded the Ayyubid dynasty, which would govern the region for generations.
The Battle of Hattin, 1187
On 4 July 1187, near two hills called the Horns of Hattin, Saladin trapped a Crusader army that had marched away from water in the summer heat and destroyed it almost completely. It was one of the most decisive defeats the Crusader states ever suffered — and it opened the road to Jerusalem.
Jerusalem retaken — by treaty, not massacre
That autumn Saladin besieged Jerusalem, which the Crusaders had captured in a notorious bloodbath in 1099. This time the city surrendered by negotiation on 2 October 1187, and most of its inhabitants were ransomed or allowed to leave in safety. That mercy — in stark contrast to 1099 — stunned his contemporaries and became the heart of his legend.
A legend of mercy and chivalry
Saladin became legendary even to his Christian enemies during the Third Crusade, above all in his rivalry of reputations with Richard the Lionheart; the chronicles tell of Saladin sending him fruit cooled with mountain snow when he fell ill, and of Saladin's brother al-Adil sending him two fresh horses when the king was left fighting on foot at Jaffa. His reputation for mercy, generosity and honour is rooted in the sources — celebrated across the Muslim world, and, remarkably, by his enemies too.
Death and an empty treasury
Saladin died of a fever in Damascus on 4 March 1193, at roughly fifty-six. According to his companion and biographer Baha ad-Din ibn Shaddad, he had given away almost all his wealth: his treasury reportedly held just one gold coin and forty-seven silver dirhams — not enough to pay for his own funeral. He is buried beside the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus.
Key Dates to Remember
- c. 1137 — Born in Tikrit (Kurdish descent)
- 1169 — Becomes vizier of Egypt
- 1174 — Takes power as sultan
- July 1187 — Wins the Battle of Hattin
- Oct 1187 — Retakes Jerusalem
- 1192 — Treaty of Jaffa with Richard I
- March 1193 — Dies in Damascus