Saladin Originally sent to Fatimid Egypt by his Zengid lord Nur ad - Din in 1163 , Saladin climbed the ranks of the Fatimid government by virtue of his military successes against Crusader assaults on its territory and his personal closeness to the caliph al - Adid . When Saladin ' s uncle Shirkuh died in 1169 , al - Adid appointed Saladin vizier , a rare nomination of a Sunni Muslim to such an important position in the Shia Muslim - led caliphate . During his term as vizier , Saladin began to undermine the Fatimid establishment and following al - Adid ' s death in 1171 , he took over government and realigned the country ' s allegiance with the Baghdad - based Abbasid Caliphate . In the following years , he led forays against the Crusaders in Palestine , ordered the successful conquest of Yemen and staved off pro - Fatimid rebellions in Upper Egypt . Not long after the death of Nur ad - Din in 1174 , Saladin personally led the conquest of Syria , peacefully entering Damascus at the request of its ruler . By mid - 1175 , Saladin had conquered Hama and Homs , inviting the animosity of his former Zengid lords , who had been the official rulers of Syria . Soon after , he defeated the Zengid army in battle and was thereafter proclaimed the " Sultan of Egypt and Syria " by the Abbasid caliph al - Mustadi . He made further conquests in northern Syria and Jazira and escaped two attempts on his life by the Assassins , before returning to Egypt in 1177 to address issues in Egypt . By 1182 , Saladin completed the conquest of Syria after capturing Aleppo , but ultimately failed in taking over the Zengid stronghold of Mosul . Under Saladin ' s personal leadership , the Ayyubid army defeated the Crusaders at the decisive Battle of Hattin in 1187 , leading the way to the Muslims ' re - capture of Palestine from the Crusaders who had conquered it 88 years earlier . Though the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem would continue to exist for an extended period , its defeat at Hattin marked a turning point in its conflict with the Muslim powers of the region . Saladin has become a prominent figure in Muslim , Arab , and Kurdish culture . His reportedly noble and chivalrous behavior was noted , even by Christian chroniclers , and despite being the nemesis of the Crusaders , he purportedly won the respect of many of them , including Richard the Lionheart who led the Third Crusade . In 1193 he died in Damascus , having given much of his wealth to his subjects . Saladin is buried in a mausoleum adjacent to the Umayyad Mosque . Sources . Among Saladin ' s admirers who produced personal biographies are the historians : Qadi al - Fadil from Ascalon , Imad al - Din al - Isfahani , and Bahā ' al - Dīn , a jurist from Mosul . Ibn al - Athir ( d . 1233 ) , on the other hand , produced a more hostile picture . Certainly " Imad al - Din al - Isfahani shows a deep admiration for Saladin , but his greatness appears wholly as a corollary from the facts themselves . " Throughout the " Barq " he is presented in human and realistic terms , even more than in Bahā ' al - Dīn ' s biography . Early life . Saladin was born in Tikrit , Mesopotamia . His personal name was " Yusuf " ; " Salah ad - Din " is a " laqab " , a descriptive epithet , meaning " Righteousness of the Faith . " His family was of Kurdish ancestry , and had originated from the city of Dvin in medieval Armenia . The Rawadid tribe he hailed from had been partially assimilated into the Arabic - speaking world by this time . In 1132 the defeated army of the Imad ad - Din Zengi , the Lord of Mosul , found their retreat blocked by the Tigris River opposite the Tikrit fortress where Saladin ' s father , Najm ad - Din Ayyub served as the warden . Ayyub provided ferries for the army and gave them refuge in Tikrit . Mujahed al - Din Bihruz , a former Greek slave who had been appointed the military governor of northern Mesopotamia for his service to the Seljuks had reprimanded Ayyub for giving Zengi refuge and in 1137 , banished Ayyub from Tikrit after his brother Asad al - Din Shirkuh killed a friend of Bihruz in an honour killing . According to Baha ad - Din ibn Shaddad , Saladin was born the same night his family left Tikrit . In 1139 , Ayyub and his family moved to Mosul where Imad ad - Din Zengi acknowledged his debt and appointed Ayyub commander of his fortress in Baalbek . After the death of Zengi in 1146 , his son , Nur ad - Din , became the regent of Aleppo and the leader of the Zengid s . Saladin , who now lived in Damascus , was reported to have a particular fondness of the city , but information on his early childhood is scarce . About education , Saladin wrote " children are brought up in the way in which their elders were brought up . " According to one of his biographers , al - Wahrani , Saladin was able to answer questions on Euclid , the Almagest , arithmetic , and law , but this was an academic ideal and it was study of the Qur ' an and the " sciences of religion " that linked him to his contemporaries . Several sources claim that during his studies he was more interested in religion than joining the military . < ref name = " Who2 Biography : Saladin , Sultan / Military Leader " > < / ref > Another factor which may have affected his interest in religion was that during the First Crusade , Jerusalem was taken in a surprise attack by the Christians . In addition to Islam , Saladin had a knowledge of the genealogies , biographies , and histories of the Arabs , as well as the bloodlines of Arabian horse s . More significantly , he knew the " Hamasah " of Abu Tammam by heart . He also spoke Kurdish , and likely Turkish as well . Early expeditions . Saladin ' s military career began under the tutelage of his uncle Asad al - Din Shirkuh , an important military commander under Nur ad - Din , Emir of Damascus and Aleppo , member of the Turkic Zengid dynasty and the most influential teacher of Saladin . In 1163 , the vizier to the Fatimid caliph al - Adid , Shawar , had been driven out of Egypt by rival Dirgham , a member of the powerful Banu Ruzzaik tribe . He asked for military backing from Nur ad - Din , who complied and in 1164 , sent Shirkuh to aid Shawar in his expedition against Dirgham . Saladin , at age 26 , went along with them . After Shawar was successfully reinstated as vizier , he demanded that Shirkuh withdraw his army from Egypt for a sum of 30 , 000 dinar s , but he refused insisting it was Nur ad - Din ' s will that he remain . Saladin ' s role in this expedition was minor , and it is known that he was ordered by Shirkuh to collect stores from Bilbais prior to its siege by a combined force of Crusaders and Shawar ' s troops . After the sacking of Bilbais , the Crusader - Egyptian force and Shirkuh ' s army were to engage in a battle on the desert border of the Nile River , just west of Giza . Saladin played a major role , commanding the right wing of the Zengid army ( Muslim Dynasty of Oghuz Turk origin ) , while a force of Kurds commanded the left , and Shirkuh stationed in the center . Muslim sources at the time , however , put Saladin in the " baggage of the center " with orders to lure the enemy into a trap by staging a false retreat . The Crusader force enjoyed early success against Shirkuh ' s troops , but the terrain was too steep and sandy for their horses , and commander Hugh of Caesarea was captured while attacking Saladin ' s unit . After scattered fighting in little valleys to the south of the main position , the Zengid central force returned to the offensive ; Saladin joined in from the rear . The battle ended in a Zengid victory , and Saladin is credited to have helped Shirkuh in one of the " most remarkable victories in recorded history " , according to Ibn al - Athir , although more of Shirkuh ' s men were killed and the battle is considered by most sources as not a total victory . Saladin and Shirkuh moved towards Alexandria where they were welcomed , given money , arms , and provided a base . Faced by a superior Crusader - Egyptian force who attempted to besiege the city , Shirkuh split his army . He and the bulk of his force withdrew from Alexandria , while Saladin was left with the task of guarding the city . In Egypt . Emir of Egypt . Shirkuh engaged in a power struggle over Egypt with Shawar and Amalric I of the Kingdom of Jerusalem , in which Shawar requested Amalric ' s assistance . In 1169 , Shawar was reportedly assassinated by Saladin , and Shirkuh died later that year . Nur ad - Din chose a successor for Shirkuh , but al - Adid appointed Saladin to replace Shawar as vizier . The reasoning behind the Shia caliph al - Adid ' s selection of Saladin , a Sunni , varies . Ibn al - Athir claims that the caliph chose him after being told by his advisers that " there is no one weaker or younger " than Saladin , and " not one of the emirs obeyed him or served him . " However , according to this version , after some bargaining , he was eventually accepted by the majority of " emirs " . Al - Adid ' s advisers were also suspected of attempting to split the Syria - based Zengid ranks . Al - Wahrani wrote that Saladin was selected because of the reputation of his family in their " generosity and military prowess . " Imad ad - Din wrote that after the brief mourning period of Shirkuh , during which " opinions differed " , the Zengid " emir s " decided upon Saladin and forced the caliph to " invest him as vizier . " Although positions were complicated by rival Muslim leaders , the bulk of the Syrian rulers supported Saladin because of his role in the Egyptian expedition , in which he gained a record of military qualifications . Inaugurated as Emir on March 26 , Saladin repented " wine - drinking and turned from frivolity to assume the dress of religion . " Having gained more power and independence than ever before in his career , he still faced the issue of ultimate loyalty between al - Adid and Nur ad - Din . The latter was rumored to be clandestinely hostile towards Saladin ' s appointment and was quoted as saying , " how dare he [ Saladin ] do anything without my orders ? " He wrote several letters to Saladin , who dismissed them without abandoning his allegiance to Nur ad - Din . Later in the year , a group of Egyptian soldiers and " emirs " attempted to assassinate Saladin , but having already known of their intentions , thanks to his intelligence chief Ali bin Safyan , he had the chief conspirator , Naji , Mu ' tamin al - Khilafa — the civilian controller of the Fatimid Palace — arrested , and killed . The day after , 50 , 000 black African soldiers from the regiment s of the Fatimid army opposed to Saladin ' s rule along with a number of Egyptian " emirs " and commoners staged a revolt . By August 23 , Saladin had decisively quelled the uprising , and never again had to face a military challenge from Cairo . Towards the end of 1169 , Saladin , with reinforcements from Nur ad - Din defeated a massive Crusader - Byzantine force near Damietta . Afterward , in the spring of 1170 , Nur ad - Din sent Saladin ' s father to Egypt in compliance with Saladin ' s request , as well as encouragement from the Baghdad - based Abbasid caliph , al - Mustanjid , who aimed to pressure Saladin in deposing his rival caliph , al - Adid . Saladin himself had been strengthening his hold on Egypt and widening his support base there . He began granting his family members high - ranking positions in the region and increased Sunni influence in Cairo ; he ordered the construction of a college for the Maliki branch of Sunni Islam in the city , as well as one for the Shafi ' i denomination to which he belonged in al - Fustat . After establishing himself in Egypt , Saladin launched a campaign against the Crusaders , besieging Darum in 1170 . Amalric withdrew his Templar garrison from Gaza to assist him in defending Darum , but Saladin evaded their force and fell on Gaza instead . He destroyed the town built outside the city ' s castle and killed most of its inhabitants after they were refused entry into the castle . It is unclear exactly when , but during that same year , he attacked and captured the Crusader castle of Eilat , built on an island off the head of the Gulf of Aqaba . It did not pose a threat to the passage of the Muslim navy , but could harass smaller parties of Muslim ships and Saladin decided to clear it from his path . Sultan of Egypt . According to Imad ad - Din , Nur ad - Din wrote to Saladin in June 1171 , telling him to reestablish the Abbasid caliphate in Egypt , which Saladin coordinated two months later after additional encouragement by Najm ad - Din al - Khabushani , the Shafi ' i " faqih " , who vehemently opposed Shia rule in the country . Several Egyptian " emirs " were thus killed , but al - Adid was told that they were killed for rebelling against him . He then fell ill , or was poisoned according to one account . While ill , he asked Saladin to pay him a visit to request that he take care of his young children , but Saladin refused , fearing treachery against the Abbasids , and is said to have regretted his action after realizing what al - Adid had wanted . He died on September 13 and five days later , the Abbasid " khutba " was pronounced in Cairo and al - Fustat , proclaiming al - Mustadi as caliph . On September 25 , Saladin left Cairo to take part in a joint attack on Kerak and Montreal , the desert castles of the Kingdom of Jerusalem , with Nur ad - Din who would attack from Syria . Prior to arriving at Montreal , Saladin withdrew , realizing that if he met Nur ad - Din at Shaubak , he would be refused return to Egypt because of Nur ad - Din ' s reluctance to consolidate such massive territorial control to Saladin . Also , there was a chance that the Crusader kingdom — which acted as a buffer state between Syria and Egypt — could have collapsed had the two leaders attacked it from the east and the coast . This would have given Nur ad - Din the opportunity to annex Egypt . Saladin claimed he withdrew amid Fatimid plots against him , but Nur ad - Din did not accept the excuse . During the summer of 1172 , a Nubian army along with a contingent of Armenia n refugees were reported on the Egyptian border , preparing for a siege against Aswan . The " emir " of the city had requested Saladin ' s assistance and was given reinforcements under Turan - Shah — Saladin ' s brother . Consequently , the Nubians departed , but returned in 1173 and were again driven off . This time Egyptian forces advanced from Aswan and captured the Nubian town of Ibrim . Seventeen months after al - Adid ' s death , Nur ad - Din had not taken any action regarding Egypt , but expected some return for the 200 , 000 dinars he had allocated to Shirkuh ' s army which seized the country . Saladin paid this debt with 60 , 000 dinars , " wonderful manufactured goods " , some jewels , an ass of the finest breed , and an elephant . While transporting these goods to Damascus , Saladin took the opportunity to ravage the Crusader countryside . He did not press an attack against the desert castles , but attempted to drive out the Muslim Bedouins who lived in Crusader territory with the aim of depriving the Franks of guides . On July 31 , 1173 , Saladin ' s father Ayyub was wounded in a horse - riding accident , ultimately causing his death on August 9 . In 1174 , Saladin sent Turan - Shah to conquer Yemen to allocate it and its port Aden to the territories of the Ayyubid Dynasty . Yemen also served as an emergency territory , to which Saladin could flee in the event of an invasion by Nur ad - Din . Acquisition of Syria . Capture of Damascus . In the early summer of 1174 , Nur ad - Din was mustering an army , sending summons to Mosul , Diyarbakir , and al - Jazira in an apparent preparation of attack against Saladin ' s Egypt . The Ayyubid dynasty held a council upon the revelation of his preparations to discuss the possible threat and Saladin collected his own troops outside Cairo . On May 15 , Nur ad - Din died after being poisoned the previous week and his power was handed to his eleven - year - old son as - Salih Ismail al - Malik . His death left Saladin with political independence and in a letter to as - Salih , he promised to " act as a sword " against his enemies and referred to the death of his father as an " earthquake shock . " In the wake of Nur ad - Din ' s death , Saladin faced a difficult decision ; he could move his army against the Crusaders from Egypt or wait until invited by as - Salih in Syria to come to his aid and launch a war from there . He could also take it upon himself to annex Syria before it could possibly fall into the hands of a rival , but feared that attacking a land that formerly belonged to his master — which is forbidden in the Islamic principles he followed — could portray him as hypocritical and thus , unsuitable for leading the war against the Crusaders . Saladin saw that in order to acquire Syria , he either needed an invitation from as - Salih or warn him that potential anarchy and danger from the Crusaders could rise . When as - Salih was removed to Aleppo in August , Gumushtigin , the " emir " of the city and a captain of Nur ad - Din ' s veterans assumed guardianship over him . The " emir " prepared to unseat all of his rivals in Syria and al - Jazira , beginning with Damascus . In this emergency , the " emir " of Damascus appealed to Saif al - Din ( a cousin of Gumushtigin ) of Mosul for assistance against Aleppo , but he refused , forcing the Syrians to request the aid of Saladin who complied . Saladin rode across the desert with 700 picked horsemen , passing through al - Kerak then reaching Bosra and according to him , was joined by " " emirs " , soldiers , and Bedouins — the emotions of their hearts to be seen on their faces . " On November 23 , he arrived in Damascus amid general acclamations and rested at his father ' s old home there , until the gates of the Citadel of Damascus were opened to him four days later . He installed himself in the castle and received the homage and salutations of the citizens . Further conquests . Leaving his brother Tughtigin as Governor of Damascus , Saladin proceeded to reduce other cities that had belonged to Nur al - Din , but were now practically independent . His army conquered Hamah with relative ease , but avoided attacking Homs because of the strength of its citadel . Saladin moved north towards Aleppo , besieging it on December 30 after Gumushtigin refused to abdicate his throne . As - Salih , fearing capture by Saladin , came out of his palace and appealed to the inhabitants not to surrender him and the city to the invading force . One of Saladin ' s chroniclers claimed " the people came under his spell . " Gumushtigin requested from Rashid ad - Din Sinan , grand - master of the Assassins of Syria , who were already at odds with Saladin since he replaced the Fatimids of Egypt , to assassinate Saladin in his camp . On 11 May 1175 a group of thirteen Assassins easily gained admission into Saladin ' s camp , but were detected immediately before they carried out their attack by Nasih al - Din Khumartekin of Abu Qubays . One was killed by a general of Saladin and the others were slain while trying to escape . To deter Saladin ' s progress , Raymond of Tripoli gathered his forces by Nahr al - Kabir where they were well - placed for an attack on Muslim territory . Saladin later moved toward Homs instead , but retreated after being told a relief force was being sent to the city by Saif al - Din . Meanwhile , Saladin ' s rivals in Syria and Jazira waged a propaganda war against him , claiming he had " forgotten his own condition [ servant of Nur ad - Din ] " and showed no gratitude for his old master by besieging his son , rising " in rebellion against his Lord . " Saladin aimed to counter this propaganda by ending the siege , claiming he was defending Islam from the Crusaders ; his army returned to Hama to engage a Crusader force there . The Crusaders withdrew beforehand and Saladin proclaimed it " a victory opening the gates of men ' s hearts . " Soon after , Saladin entered Homs and captured its citadel in March 1175 , after stubborn resistance from its defenders . Saladin ' s successes alarmed Saif al - Din . As head of the Zengid s , including Gumushtigin , he regarded Syria and Mesopotamia as his family estate and was angered when Saladin attempted to usurp his dynasty ' s holdings . Saif al - Din mustered a large army and dispatched it to Aleppo whose defenders anxiously had awaited them . The combined forces of Mosul and Aleppo marched against Saladin in Hama . Heavily outnumbered , Saladin initially attempted to make terms with the Zengids by abandoning all conquests north of the Damascus province , but they refused , insisting he return to Egypt . Seeing that confrontation was unavoidable , Saladin prepared for battle , taking up a superior position on the hills by the gorge of the Orontes River . On April 13 , 1175 , the Zengid troops marched to attack his forces , but soon found themselves surrounded by Saladin ' s Ayyubid veterans who crushed them . The battle ended in a decisive victory for Saladin who pursued the Zengid fugitives to the gates of Aleppo , forcing as - Salih ' s advisers to recognize Saladin ' s control of the provinces of Damascus , Homs and Hama , as well as a number of towns outside Aleppo such as Ma ' arat al - Numan . After his victory against the Zengids , Saladin proclaimed himself king and suppressed the name of as - Salih in Friday prayer s and Islamic coinage . From then on , he ordered prayers in all the mosques of Syria and Egypt as the sovereign king and he issued at the Cairo mint gold coins bearing his official title — " al - Malik an - Nasir Yusuf Ayyub , ala ghaya " " the King Strong to Aid , Joseph son of Job ; exalted be the standard . " The Abbasid caliph in Baghdad graciously welcomed Saladin ' s assumption of power and declared him " Sultan of Egypt and Syria . " The Battle of Hama did not end the contest for power between the Ayyubids and the Zengids , with the final confrontation occurring in the spring of 1176 . Saladin had gathered massive reinforcements from Egypt while Saif al - Din was levying troops among the minor states of Diyarbakir and al - Jazira . When Saladin crossed the Orontes , leaving Hama , the sun was eclipsed . He viewed this as an omen , but he continued his march north . He reached the Sultan ' s Mound , c . 25 km from Aleppo , where his forces encountered Saif al - Din ' s army . A hand - to - hand fight ensued and the Zengids managed to plow Saladin ' s left wing , driving it before him , when Saladin himself charged at the head of the Zengid guard . The Zengid forces panicked and most of Saif al - Din ' s officers ended up being killed or captured — Saif al - Din narrowly escaped . The Zengid army ' s camp , horses , baggage , tents , and stores were seized by the Ayyubids . The Zengid prisoners of war , however , were given gifts and freed . All of the booty from the Ayyubid victory was accorded to the army , Saladin not keeping anything himself . He continued towards Aleppo which still closed its gates to him , halting before the city . On the way , his army took Buza ' a , then captured Manbij . From there they headed west to besiege the fortress of A ' zaz on 15 May . Several days later , while Saladin was resting in one of his captain ' s tents , an assassin rushed forward at him and struck at his head with a knife . The cap of his head armor was not penetrated and he managed to grip the assassin ' s hand — the dagger only slashing his gambeson — and the assailant was soon killed . Saladin was unnerved at the attempt on his life , which he accused Gumushtugin and the Assassins of plotting , and so increased his efforts in the siege . A ' zaz capitulated on June 21 , and Saladin then hurried his forces to Aleppo to punish Gumushtigin . His assaults were again resisted , but he managed to secure not only a truce , but a mutual alliance with Aleppo , in which Gumushtigin and as - Salih were allowed to continue their hold on the city and in return , they recognized Saladin as the sovereign over all of the dominions he conquered . The " emirs " of Mardin and Keyfa , the Muslim allies of Aleppo , also recognized Saladin as the King of Syria . When the treaty was concluded , the younger sister of as - Salih came to Saladin and requested the return of the Fortress of A ' zaz ; he complied and escorted her back to the gates of Aleppo with numerous presents . Campaign against Assassins . Saladin had by now agreed truces with his Zengid rivals and the Kingdom of Jerusalem ( latter occurred in the summer of 1175 ) , but faced a threat from the Ismaili sect known then as the " Assassins " led by Rashid ad - Din Sinan . Based in the an - Nusayriyah Mountains , they commanded nine fortresses , all built on high elevations . As soon as he dispatched the bulk of his troops to Egypt , Saladin led his army into the an - Nusayriyah range in August 1176 . He retreated the same month , after laying waste to the countryside , but failing to conquer any of the forts . Most Muslim historians claim that Saladin ' s uncle , the governor of Hama , mediated a peace agreement between him and Sinan . However , Sinan ' s panegyrist claims Saladin departed for fear for his own life at the hands of the Assassins . He had his guards supplied with link lights and had chalk and cinders strewed around his tent outside Masyaf — which he was besieging — to detect any footsteps by the Assassins . According to this version , one night , Saladin ' s guards noticed a spark glowing down the hill of Masyaf and then vanishing among the Ayyubid tents . Presently , Saladin awoke from his sleep to find a figure leaving the tent . He then saw that the lamps were displaced and beside his bed laid hot scones of the shape peculiar to the Assassins with a note at the top pinned by a poisoned dagger . The note threatened that he would be killed if he didn ' t withdraw from his assault . Saladin gave a loud cry , exclaiming that Sinan himself was the figure that left the tent . Another version claims that Saladin hastily withdrew his troops from Masyaf because they were urgently needed to fend off a Crusader force in the vicinity of Mount Lebanon . Realizing he was unable to subdue the Assassins , Saladin sought to form an alliance with them , consequently depriving the Crusaders of a potent ally against him . Viewing the expulsion of the Crusaders as a mutual benefit and priority , Saladin and Sinan maintained cooperative relations afterwards , the latter dispatching contingents of his forces to bolster Saladin ' s army in a number of decisive subsequent battlefronts . Return to Cairo and forays in Palestine . After leaving the an - Nusayriyah Mountains , Saladin returned to Damascus and had his Syrian soldiers return home . He left Turan Shah in command of Syria , and left for Egypt with only his personal followers , reaching Cairo on September 22 . Having been absent roughly two years , he had much to organize and supervise in Egypt , namely fortifying and reconstructing Cairo . The city walls were repaired and their extensions laid out , while the construction of the Cairo Citadel was commenced . The deep Bir Yusuf ( " Joseph ' s Well " ) was built on Saladin ' s orders . The chief public work he commissioned outside of Cairo was the large bridge at Giza , which intended to form an outwork of defense against a potential Moorish invasion . Saladin remained in Cairo supervising its improvements , building colleges such as the Madrasa of the Sword Makers and ordering the internal administration of the country . In November 1177 , he set out upon a raid into Palestine ; the Crusaders had recently forayed into the territory of Damascus and so Saladin saw the truce was no longer worth preserving . The Christians sent a large portion of their army to besiege the fortress of Harim north of Aleppo and so southern Palestine bore few defenders . Saladin found the situation ripe , and so marched to Ascalon , which he referred to as the " Bride of Syria . " William of Tyre recorded that the Ayyubid army consisted of soldiers , of which 8 , 000 were elite forces and were black slave soldiers from the Sudan . This army proceeded to raid the countryside , sack Ramla and Lod , and dispersed themselves as far as the Gates of Jerusalem . Battles and truce with Baldwin . The Ayyubids allowed King Baldwin to enter Ascalon with his Gaza - based Templars without taking any precautions against a sudden attack . Although the Crusader force consisted only of 375 knights , Saladin hesitated to ambush them because of the presence of highly skilled generals . On November 25 , while the greater part of the Ayyubid army was absent , Saladin and his men were surprised near Ramla in the battle of Montgisard . Before they could form up , the Templar force hacked the Ayyubid army down . Initially , Saladin attempted to organize his men into battle order , but as his bodyguards were being killed , he saw that defeat was inevitable and so with a small remnant of his troops mounted a swift camel , riding all the way to the territories of Egypt . Undiscouraged by his defeat at Tell Jezer , Saladin was prepared to fight the Crusaders once again . In the spring of 1178 , he was encamped under the walls of Homs and a few skirmishes occurred between his generals and the Crusader army . His forces in Hama won a victory over their enemy and brought the spoils , together with many prisoners of war to Saladin who ordered the captives to be beheaded for " plundering and laying waste the lands of the Faithful . " He spent the rest of the year in Syria without a confrontation with his enemies . Saladin ' s intelligence services reported to him that the Crusaders were planning a raid into Syria . As such , he ordered one of his generals , Farrukh - Shah , to guard the Damascus frontier with a thousand of his men to watch for an attack , then to retire avoiding battle and lighting warning beacons on the hills on which Saladin would march out . In April 1179 , the Crusaders led by King Baldwin expected no resistance and waited to launch a surprise attack on Muslim herders grazing their herds and flocks east of the Golan Heights . Baldwin advanced too rashly in pursuit of Farrukh - Shah ' s force which was concentrated southeast of Quneitra and was subsequently defeated by the Ayyubids . With this victory , Saladin decided to call in more troops from Egypt ; he requested al - Adil to dispatch 1 , 500 horsemen . In the summer of 1179 , King Baldwin had set up an outpost on the road to Damascus and aimed to fortify a passage over the Jordan River , known as Jacob ' s Ford , that commanded the approach to the Banias plain ( the plain was divided by the Muslims and the Christians ) . Saladin had offered 100 , 000 gold pieces for Baldwin to abandon the project which was peculiarly offensive to the Muslims , but to no avail . He then resolved to destroy the fortress , called Chastellet and manned by the Templars , moving his headquarters to Banias . As the Crusaders hurried down to attack the Muslim forces , they fell into disorder , with the infantry falling behind . Despite early success , they pursued the Muslims far enough to become scattered and Saladin took advantage by rallying his troops and charged at the Crusaders . The engagement ended in a decisive Ayyubid victory and many high - ranking knights were captured . Saladin then moved to besiege the fortress which fell on August 30 , 1179 . In the spring of 1180 , while Saladin was in the area of Safad , anxious to commence a vigorous campaign against the Kingdom of Jerusalem , King Baldwin sent messengers to him with proposals of peace . Because droughts and bad harvests hampered his commissariat , Saladin agreed to a truce . Raymond of Tripoli denounced the truce , but was compelled to accept after an Ayyubid raid in his territory in May and upon the appearance of Saladin ' s naval fleet off the port of Tartus . Domestic affairs . In June 1180 , Saladin hosted a reception for Nur al - Din Muhammad , the Artuqid " emir " of Keyfa , at Geuk Su , in which he presented him and his brother Abu Bakr presents , valued at over 100 , 000 dinars according to Imad al - Din . This was intended to cement an alliance with the Artuqids and to impress other " emirs " in Mesopotamia and Anatolia . Previously , Saladin offered to mediate relations between Nur al - Din and Kilij Arslan II — the Seljuk Sultan of Rum — after the two came into conflict . The latter demanded Nur al - Din return the lands given to him as a dowry for marrying his daughter when he received reports that she was being abused and used by him to gain Seljuk territory . Nur al - Din requested Saladin mediate the issue but Arslan refused . After Nur al - Din and Saladin met at Geuk Su , the top Seljuk " emir " , Ikhtiyar al - Din al - Hasan , confirmed Arslan ' s submission , after which an agreement was drawn up . Saladin was later enraged when he received a message from Arslan accusing Nur al - Din of more abuses against his daughter . He threatened to attack the city of Malatya , saying , " it is two days march for me and I shall not dismount [ my horse ] until I am in the city . " Alarmed at the threat , the Seljuks pushed for negotiations . Saladin felt that Arslan was correct to care for his daughter , but Nur al - Din had taken refuge with him , and therefore he could not betray his trust . It was finally agreed that Arslan ' s daughter would be sent away for a year and if Nur al - Din failed to comply , Saladin would move to abandon his support for him . Leaving Farrukh - Shah in charge of Syria , Saladin returned to Cairo at the beginning of 1181 . According to Abu Shama , he intended to spend the fast of Ramadan in Egypt and then make the " hajj " pilgrimage to Mecca in the summer . For an unknown reason he apparently changed his plans regarding the pilgrimage and was seen inspecting the Nile River banks in June . He was again embroiled with the Bedouin ; he removed two - thirds of their fiefs to use as compensation for the fief - holders at Fayyum . The Bedouin were also accused of trading with the Crusaders and consequently , their grain was confiscated and they were forced to migrate westward . Later , Ayyubid warships were waged against Bedouin river pirates who were plundering the shores of Lake Tanis . In the summer of 1181 , Saladin ' s former palace administrator Qara - Qush led a force to arrest Majd al - Din — a former deputy of Turan - Shah in the Yemeni town of Zabid — while he was entertaining Imad ad - Din at his estate in Cairo . Saladin ' s intimates accused Majd al - Din of misappropriating the revenues of Zabid , but Saladin himself believed there was no evidence to back the allegations . He had Majd al - Din released in return for a payment of 80 , 000 dinars . In addition , other sums were to be paid to Saladin ' s brothers al - Adil and Taj al - Muluk Buri . The controversial detainment of Majd al - Din was a part of the larger discontent associated with the aftermath of Turan - Shah ' s departure from Yemen . Although his deputies continued to send him revenues from the province , centralized authority was lacking and internal quarrel arose between Izz al - Din Uthman of Aden and Hittan of Zabid . Saladin wrote in a letter to al - Adil : " this Yemen is a treasure house . . . We conquered it , but up to this day we have had no return and no advantage from it . There have been only innumerable expenses , the sending out of troops . . . and expectations which did not produce what was hoped for in the end . " Imperial expansions . Conquest of Mesopotamian hinterland . Saif al - Din had died earlier in June 1181 and his brother Izz al - Din inherited leadership of Mosul . On December 4 , the crown - prince of the Zengids , as - Salih , died in Aleppo . Prior to his death , he had his chief officers swear an oath of loyalty to Izz al - Din , as he was the only Zengid ruler strong enough to oppose Saladin . Izz al - Din was welcomed in Aleppo , but possessing it and Mosul put too great of a strain on his abilities . He thus , handed Aleppo to his brother Imad al - Din Zangi , in exchange for Sinjar . Saladin offered no opposition to these transactions in order to respect the treaty he previously made with the Zengids . On May 11 , 1182 , Saladin along with half of the Egyptian Ayyubid army and numerous non - combatants left Cairo for Syria . On the evening before he departed , he sat with his companions and the tutor of one of his sons quoted a line of poetry : " enjoy the scent of the ox - eye plant of Najd , for after this evening it will come no more . " Saladin took this as an evil omen and he never saw Egypt again . Knowing that Crusader forces were massed upon the frontier to intercept him , he took the desert route across the Sinai Peninsula to Ailah at the head of the Gulf of Aqaba . Meeting no opposition , Saladin ravaged the countryside of Montreal , whilst Baldwin ' s forces watched on , refusing to intervene . He arrived in Damascus in June to learn that Farrukh - Shah had attacked the Galilee , sacking Daburiyya and capturing Habis Jaldek , a fortress of great importance to the Crusaders . In July , Saladin dispatched Farrukh - Shah to attack Kawkab al - Hawa . Later , in August , the Ayyubids launched a naval and ground assault to capture Beirut ; Saladin led his army in the Bekaa Valley . The assault was leaning towards failure and Saladin abandoned the operation to focus on issues in Mesopotamia . Kukbary , the " emir " of Harran , invited Saladin to occupy the Jazira region , making up northern Mesopotamia . He complied and the truce between him and the Zengids officially ended in September 1182 . Prior to his march to Jazira , tensions had grown between the Zengid rulers of the region , primarily concerning their unwillingness to pay deference to Mosul . Before he crossed the Euphrates , Saladin besieged Aleppo for three days , signaling that the truce was over . Once he reached Bira , near the river , he was joined by Kukbary and Nur al - Din of Hisn Kayfa and the combined forces captured the cities of Jazira , one after the other . First , Edessa fell , followed by Saruj , then ar - Raqqah , Karkesiya and Nusaybin . Ar - Raqqah was an important crossing point and held by Qutb al - Din Inal , who had lost Manbij to Saladin in 1176 . Upon seeing the large size of Saladin ' s army , he made little effort to resist and surrendered on the condition that he would retain his property . Saladin promptly impressed the inhabitants of the town by publishing a decree that ordered a number of taxes to be canceled and erased all mention of them from treasury records , stating " the most miserable rulers are those whose purses are fat and their people thin . " From ar - Raqqah , he moved to conquer al - Fudain , al - Husain , Maksim , Durain , ' Araban , and Khabur — all of which swore allegiance to him . Saladin proceeded to take Nusaybin which offered no resistance . A medium - sized town , Nusaybin was not of great importance , but it was located in a strategic position between Mardin and Mosul and within easy reach of Diyarbakir . In the midst of these victories , Saladin received word that the Crusaders were raiding the villages of Damascus . He replied " Let them . . . whilst they knock down villages , we are taking cities ; when we come back , we shall have all the more strength to fight them . " Meanwhile , in Aleppo , the " emir " of the city Zangi raided Saladin ' s cities to the north and east , such as Balis , Manbij , Saruj , Buza ' a , al - Karzain . He also destroyed his own citadel at A ' zaz to prevent it from being used by the Ayyubids if they were to conquer it . Possession of Aleppo . Saladin turned his attention from Mosul to Aleppo , sending his brother Taj al - Muluk Buri to capture Tell Khalid , 130 km northeast of the city . A siege was set , but the governor of Tell Khalid surrendered upon the arrival of Saladin himself on May 17 before a siege could take place . According to Imad ad - Din , after Tell Khalid , Saladin took a detour northwards to Ain Tab , but he gained possession of it when his army turned towards it , allowing to quickly move backward another c . 100 km towards Aleppo . On May 21 , he camped outside the city , positioning himself east of the Citadel of Aleppo , while his forces encircles the suburb of Banaqusa to the northeast and Bab Janan to the west . He stationed his men dangerously close to the city , hoping for an early success . Zangi did not offer long resistance . He was unpopular with his subjects and wished to return to his Sinjar , the city he governed previously . An exchange was negotiated where Zangi would hand over Aleppo to Saladin in return for the restoration of his control of Sinjar , Nusaybin , and ar - Raqqa . Zangi would hold these territories as Saladin ' s vassals on terms of military service . On June 12 , Aleppo was formally placed in Ayyubid hands . The people of Aleppo had not known about these negotiations and were taken by surprise when Saladin ' s standard was hoisted over the citadel . Two " emir " s , including an old friend of Saladin , Izz al - Din Jurduk , welcomed and pledged their service to him . Saladin replaced the Hanafi courts with Shafi ' i administration , despite a promise he would not interfere in the religious leadership of the city . Although he was short of money , Saladin also allowed the departing Zangi to take all the stores of the citadel that he could travel with and to sell the remainder — which Saladin purchased himself . In spite of his earlier hesitation to go through with the exchange , he had no doubts about his success , stating that Aleppo was " the key to the lands " and " this city is the eye of Syria and the citadel is its pupil . " For Saladin , the capture of the city marked the end of over eight years of waiting since he told Farrukh - Shah that " " we have only to do the milking and Aleppo will be ours " " . After spending one night in Aleppo ' s citadel , Saladin marched to Harim , near the Crusader - held Antioch . The city was held by Surhak , a " minor " mamluk " . " Saladin offered him the city of Busra and property in Damascus in exchange for Harim , but when Surhak asked for more , his own garrison in Harim forced him out . He was arrested by Saladin ' s deputy Taqi al - Din on allegations that he was planning to cede Harim to Bohemond III of Antioch . When Saladin received its surrender , he proceeded to arrange the defense of Harim from the Crusaders . He reported to the caliph and his own subordinates in Yemen and Baalbek that was going to attack the Armenia ns . Before he could move , however , there were a number of administrative details to be settled . Saladin agreed to a truce with Bohemond in return for Muslim prisoners being held by him and then he gave A ' zaz to Alam ad - Din Suleiman and Aleppo to Saif al - Din al - Yazkuj — the former was an " emir " of Aleppo who joined Saladin and the latter was a former " mamluk " of Shirkuh who helped rescue him from the assassination attempt at A ' zaz . Fight for Mosul . As Saladin approached Mosul , he faced the issue of taking over a large city and justifying the action . The Zengids of Mosul appealed to an - Nasir , the Abbasid caliph at Baghdad whose vizier favored them . An - Nasir sent Badr al - Badr ( a high - ranking religious figure ) to mediate between the two sides . Saladin arrived at the city on 10 November 1182 . Izz al - Din would not accept his terms because he considered them disingenuous and extensive , and Saladin immediately laid siege to the heavily fortified city . After several minor skirmishes and a stalemate in the siege that was initiated by the caliph , Saladin intended to find a way to withdraw from the siege without damage to his reputation while still keeping up some military pressure . He decided to attack Sinjar which was now held by Izz al - Din ' s brother Sharaf al - Din . It fell after a 15 - day siege on December 30 . Saladin ' s commanders and soldiers broke their discipline , plundering the city ; Saladin only managed to protect the governor and his officers by sending them to Mosul . After establishing a garrison at Sinjar , he awaited a coalition assembled by Izz al - Din consisting of his forces , those from Aleppo , Mardin , and Armenia . Saladin and his army met the coalition at Harran in February 1183 , but on hearing of his approach , the latter sent messengers to Saladin asking for peace . Each force returned to their cities and al - Fadil wrote : " " They [ Izz al - Din ' s coalition ] advanced like men , like women they vanished . " " On 2 March , al - Adil from Egypt wrote to Saladin that the Crusaders had struck the " heart of Islam . " Raynald de Châtillon had sent ships to the Gulf of Aqaba to raid towns and villages off the coast of the Red Sea . It was not an attempt to extend the Crusader influence into that sea or to capture its trade routes , but merely a piratical move . Nonetheless , Imad al - Din writes the raid was alarming to the Muslims because they were not accustomed to attacks on that sea and Ibn al - Athir adds that the inhabitants had no experience with the Crusaders either as fighters or traders . Ibn Jubair was told that sixteen Muslim ships were burnt by the Crusaders who then captured a pilgrim ship and caravan at Aidab . He also reported they intended to attack Medina and remove Muhammad ' s body . Al - Maqrizi added to the rumor by claiming Muhammad ' s tomb was going to be relocated to Crusader territory so Muslims would make pilgrimages there . Fortunately for Saladin , al - Adil had his warships moved from Fustat and Alexandria to the Red Sea under the command of an Armenian mercenary Lu ' lu . They broke the Crusader blockade , destroyed most of their ships , and pursued and captured those who anchored and fled into the desert . The surviving Crusaders , numbered at 170 , were ordered to be killed by Saladin in various Muslim cities . From Saladin ' s own point of view , in terms of territory , the war against Mosul was going well , but he still failed to achieve his objectives and his army was shrinking ; Taqi al - Din took his men back to Hama , while Nasir al - Din Muhammad and his forces had left . This encouraged Izz al - Din and his allies to take the offensive . The previous coalition regrouped at Harzam some 140 km from Harran . In early April , without waiting for Nasir al - Din , Saladin and Taqi al - Din commenced their advance against the coalition , marching eastward to Ras al - Ein unhindered . By late April , after three days of " actual fighting " according to Saladin , the Ayyubids had captured Amid . He handed the city Nur al - Din Muhammad together with its stores — which consisted of 80 , 000 candles , a tower full of arrowheads , and 1 , 040 , 000 books . In return for a diploma granting him the city , Nur al - Din swore allegiance to Saladin , promising to follow him in every expedition in the war against the Crusaders and repairing damage done to the city . The fall of Amid , in addition to territory , convinced Il - Ghazi of Mardin to enter the service of Saladin , weakening Izz al - Din ' s coalition . Saladin attempted to gain the Caliph an - Nasir ' s support against Izz al - Din by sending him a letter requesting a document that would give him legal justification for taking over Mosul and its territories . Saladin aimed to persuade the caliph claiming that while he conquered Egypt and Yemen under the flag of the Abbasids , the Zengids of Mosul openly supported the Seljuks ( rivals of the caliphate ) and only came to the caliph when in need . He also accused Izz al - Din ' s forces of disrupting the Muslim " Holy War " against the Crusaders , stating " they are not content not to fight , but they prevent those who can . " Saladin defended his own conduct claiming that he had come to Syria to fight the Crusaders , end the heresy of the Assassins , and to end the wrong - doing of the Muslims . He also promised that if Mosul was given to him , it would lead to the capture of Jerusalem , Constantinople , Georgia , and the lands of the Almohad s in the Maghreb , " until the word of God is supreme and the Abbasid caliphate has wiped the world clean , turning the churches into mosques . " Saladin stressed that all this would happen by the will of God and instead of asking for financial or military support from the caliph , he would capture and give the caliph the territories of Tikrit , Daquq , Khuzestan , Kish Island , and Oman . Wars against Crusaders . On 29 September 1182 , Saladin crossed the Jordan River to attack Beisan which was found to be empty . The next day his forces sacked and burned the town and moved westwards . They intercepted Crusader reinforcements from Karak and Shaubak along the Nablus road and took a number of prisoners . Meanwhile , the main Crusader force under Guy of Lusignan moved from Sepphoris to al - Fula . Saladin sent out 500 skirmishers to harass their forces and he himself marched to Ain Jalut . When the Crusader force — reckoned to be the largest the kingdom ever produced from its own resources , but still outmatched by the Muslims — advanced , the Ayyubids unexpectedly moved down the stream of Ain Jalut . After a few Ayyubid raids — including attacks on Zir ' in , Forbelet , and Mount Tabor — the Crusaders still were not tempted to attack their main force , and Saladin led his men back across the river once provisions and supplies ran low . However , Crusader attacks provoked further responses by Saladin . Raynald of Châtillon , in particular , harassed Muslim trading and pilgrimage routes with a fleet on the Red Sea , a water route that Saladin needed to keep open . In response , Saladin built a fleet of 30 galleys to attack Beirut in 1182 . Raynald threatened to attack the holy cities of Mecca and Medina . In retaliation , Saladin twice besieged Kerak , Raynald ' s fortress in Oultrejordain , in 1183 and 1184 . Raynald responded by looting a caravan of pilgrims on the Hajj in 1185 . According to the later thirteenth century " Old French Continuation of William of Tyre " , Raynald captured Saladin ' s sister in a raid on a caravan , although this claim is not attested in contemporary sources , Muslim or Frankish , instead stating that Raynald had attacked a preceding caravan , and Saladin set guards to ensure the safety of his sister and her son , who came to no harm . Following the failure of his Kerak sieges , Saladin temporarily turned his attention back to another long - term project and resumed attacks on the territory of ʻIzz ad - Dīn ( Masʻūd ibn Mawdūd ibn Zangi ) , around Mosul , which he had begun with some success in 1182 . However , since then , Masʻūd had allied himself with the powerful governor of Azerbaijan and Jibal , who in 1185 began moving his troops across the Zagros Mountains , causing Saladin to hesitate in his attacks . The defenders of Mosul , when they became aware that help was on the way , increased their efforts , and Saladin subsequently fell ill , so in March 1186 a peace treaty was signed . In July 1187 Saladin captured most of the Kingdom of Jerusalem . On July 4 , 1187 , at the Battle of Hattin , he faced the combined forces of Guy of Lusignan , King Consort of Jerusalem and Raymond III of Tripoli . In this battle alone the Crusader force was largely annihilated by Saladin ' s determined army . It was a major disaster for the Crusaders and a turning point in the history of the Crusades . Saladin captured Raynald de Châtillon and was personally responsible for his execution in retaliation for his attacks against Muslim caravans . The members of these caravans had , in vain , besought his mercy by reciting the truce between the Muslims and the Crusaders , but he ignored this and insulted their prophet Muhammad before murdering and torturing a number of them . Upon hearing this , Saladin swore an oath to personally execute Raynald . Guy of Lusignan was also captured . Seeing the execution of Raynald , he feared he would be next . However , his life was spared by Saladin , who said of Raynald : Capture of Jerusalem . Saladin had captured almost every Crusader city . Jerusalem capitulated to his forces on Friday , 2 October 1187 , after a siege . When the siege had started , Saladin was unwilling to promise terms of quarter to the Frankish inhabitants of Jerusalem until Balian of Ibelin threatened to kill every Muslim hostage , estimated at 5000 , and to destroy Islam ' s holy shrines of the Dome of the Rock and the al - Aqsa Mosque if such quarter were not provided . Saladin consulted his council and these terms were accepted . This agreement was read out through the streets of Jerusalem , so that everyone might within forty days provide for himself and pay to Saladin the tribute as aforesaid for his freedom . An unusually low ransom for the times ( around $ 50 in modern money ) was to be paid for each Frank in the city whether man , woman or child but Saladin , against the wishes of his treasurers , allowed many families who could not afford the ransom to leave . Patriarch Heraclius of Jerusalem organised , and contributed to a collection which paid the ransoms for about 18 , 000 of the poorer citizens , leaving another 15 , 000 to be enslaved , Saladin ' s brother al - Adil , " asked Saladin for a thousand of them for his own use and then released them on the spot . " Most of the foot soldiers were sold into slavery . Upon the capture of Jerusalem , Saladin summoned the Jews and permitted them to resettle in the city . In particular , the residents of Ashkelon , a large Jewish settlement , responded to his request . Tyre , on the coast of modern - day Lebanon , was the last major Crusader city that was not captured by Muslim forces ( strategically , it would have made more sense for Saladin to capture Tyre before Jerusalem — however , Saladin chose to pursue Jerusalem first because of the importance of the city to Islam ) . The city was now commanded by Conrad of Montferrat , who strengthened Tyre ' s defences and withstood two sieges by Saladin . In 1188 , at Tortosa , Saladin released Guy of Lusignan and returned him to his wife , Queen Sibylla of Jerusalem . They went first to Tripoli , then to Antioch . In 1189 , they sought to reclaim Tyre for their kingdom , but were refused admission by Conrad , who did not recognize Guy as king . Guy then set about besieging Acre . Third Crusade . Hattin and the fall of Jerusalem prompted the Third Crusade ( 1189 – 1192 ) , financed in England by a special " Saladin tithe " . Richard I of England ( Richard the Lionheart ) led Guy ' s siege of Acre , conquered the city and executed 3 , 000 Muslim prisoners , including women and children . Bahā ' ad - Dīn wrote : Saladin retaliated by killing all Franks captured from 28 August – 10 September . Bahā ' ad - Dīn wrote : " Whilst we were there they brought two Franks to the Sultan ( Saladin ) who had been made prisoners by the advance guard . He had them beheaded on the spot . " The armies of Saladin engaged in combat with the army of King Richard at the Battle of Arsuf on 7 September 1191 , at which Saladin ' s forces were defeated . After the battle of Arsuf , Richard moved his forces towards Ascalon . Anticipating Richard ' s next move , Saladin emptied the city and camped a few miles away . When Richard arrived at the city , he was stunned to see it abandoned and the towers demolished . The next day when Richard was preparing to retreat to Jaffa , Saladin attacked his Army . After a furious battle , Richard managed to save some of his troops and retreated to Ascalon . This was the last major battle between the two forces . All military attempts and battles made by Richard the Lionheart to re - take Jerusalem were defeated and failed . Richard only had 2 , 000 fit soldiers and 50 fit knights to use in battle . With such a small force , he could not expect or hope to take Jerusalem although he got near enough to see the Holy City . Saladin ' s relationship with Richard was complicated despite their military rivalry . At Arsuf , when Richard lost his horse , Saladin sent him two replacements . Richard proposed that his sister , Joan of England , Queen of Sicily , should marry Saladin ' s brother and that Jerusalem could be their wedding gift . However , the two men never met face to face and communication was either written or by messenger . As leaders of their respective factions , the two men came to an agreement in the Treaty of Ramla in 1192 , whereby Jerusalem would remain in Muslim hands but would be open to Christian pilgrimages . The treaty reduced the Latin Kingdom to a strip along the coast from Tyre to Jaffa . Death . Saladin died of a fever on 4 March 1193 , at Damascus , not long after Richard ' s departure . In Saladin ’ s possession at the time of his death were 1 piece of gold and 40 pieces of silver . He had given away his great wealth to his poor subjects leaving nothing to pay for his funeral . He was buried in a mausoleum in the garden outside the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus , Syria . Seven centuries later , Emperor Wilhelm II of Germany donated a new marble sarcophagus to the mausoleum . The sarcophagus was not replaced , however . Instead , the mausoleum , which is open to visitors , now has two sarcophagi : the marble one placed on the side and the original wooden one , which covers Saladin ' s tomb . ( Muslims are buried in a simple shroud , so if there are any sarcophagi present , they are usually used for covering the top of the Islamic burials . ) Family . According to Imad al - Din , Saladin had fathered five sons before he left Egypt in 1174 . Saladin ' s oldest son , al - Afdal was born in 1170 and Uthman was born in 1172 to Shamsa who accompanied Saladin to Syria . Saladin had a third son named , Az - Zahir Ghazi , who later became Lord of Aleppo . Al - Afdal ' s mother bore Saladin another child in 1177 . A letter preserved by Qalqashandi records that a twelfth son was born in May 1178 , while on Imad al - Din ' s list , he appears as Saladin ' s seventh son . Mas ' ud was born in 1175 and Yaq ' ub in 1176 , the latter to Shamsa . Recognition and legacy . Muslim world . In 1898 German Emperor Wilhelm II visited Saladin ' s tomb to pay his respects . The visit , coupled with anti - imperialist sentiments , led nationalist Arabs to reinvent the image of Saladin and portray him as a hero of the struggle against the West . The image of Saladin they used was the romantic one created by Walter Scott and other Europeans in the West at the time . It replaced Saladin ' s reputation as a figure who had been largely forgotten in the Muslim world , eclipsed by more successful figures such as Baybars of Egypt . Modern Arab states have sought to commemorate Saladin through various measures , often based on the image created of him in the 19th century west . A governorate centered around Tikrit and Samarra in modern - day Iraq , Salah ad Din Governorate , is named after him , as is Salahaddin University in Arbil , the largest city of Iraqi Kurdistan . A suburb community of Arbil , Masif Salahaddin , is also named after him . Few structures associated with Saladin survive within modern cities . Saladin first fortified the Citadel of Cairo ( 1175 – 1183 ) , which had been a domed pleasure pavilion with a fine view in more peaceful times . In Syria , even the smallest city is centred on a defensible citadel , and Saladin introduced this essential feature to Egypt . Although the Ayyubid dynasty that he founded would only outlive him by 57 years , the legacy of Saladin within the Arab World continues to this day . With the rise of Arab nationalism in the 20th Century , particularly with regard to the Arab - Israeli conflict , Saladin ' s heroism and leadership gained a new significance . Saladin ' s recapture of Palestine from the European Crusaders is considered an inspiration for modern - day Arabs ' opposition to Zionism . Moreover , the glory and comparative unity of the Arab World under Saladin was seen as the perfect symbol for the new unity sought by Arab nationalists , such as Gamal Abdel Nasser . For this reason , the Eagle of Saladin became the symbol of revolutionary Egypt , and was subsequently adopted by several other Arab states ( the United Arab Republic , Iraq , Libya , the partially recognised State of Palestine , and Yemen ) . Western world . His fierce struggle against the crusaders and his prodigality were where Saladin achieved a great reputation in Europe as a chivalrous knight , so much so that there existed by the fourteenth century an epic poem about his exploits . Though Saladin faded into history after the Middle Ages , he appears in a sympathetic light in Gotthold Ephraim Lessing ' s play " Nathan the Wise " ( 1779 ) , and in Sir Walter Scott ' s novel " The Talisman " ( 1825 ) . It is mainly from these texts that the contemporary view of Saladin originates . According to Jonathan Riley - Smith , Scott ' s portrayal of Saladin was that of a " modern [ 19th Century ] liberal European gentlemen , beside whom medieval Westerners would always have made a poor showing . " Despite the Crusaders ' slaughter when they originally conquered Jerusalem in 1099 , Saladin granted amnesty and free passage to all common Catholics and even to the defeated Christian army , as long as they were able to pay the aforementioned ransom ( the Greek Orthodox Christians were treated even better , because they often opposed the western Crusaders ) . An interesting view of Saladin and the world in which he lived is provided by Tariq Ali ' s novel " The Book of Saladin " . Notwithstanding the differences in beliefs , the Muslim Saladin was respected by Christian lords , Richard especially . Richard once praised Saladin as a great prince , saying that he was without doubt the greatest and most powerful leader in the Islamic world . Saladin in turn stated that there was not a more honorable Christian lord than Richard . After the treaty , Saladin and Richard sent each other many gifts as tokens of respect , but never met face to face . In April 1191 , a Frankish woman ' s three month old baby had been stolen from her camp and had been sold on the market . The Franks urged her to approach Saladin herself with her grievance . According to Bahā ' al - Dīn , Saladin used his own money to buy the child back : At the end of World War I British Commander General Edmund Allenby had succeeded in capturing Damascus from Turkish troops . According to some sources , after his triumphal entry into the city , Allenby raised his sword in salute to the famous statue of Saladin and proudly declared " Today the wars of the Crusaders are completed . " This quotation was incorrectly attributed to Allenby , and throughout his life he vehemently protested against his conquest of Palestine in 1917 having been called a " Crusade . " In 1933 Allenby reiterated this stance by saying : " The importance of Jerusalem lay in its strategic importance , there was no religious impulse in this campaign . " The British press continued to celebrate his victory over the Ottoman Empire by printing cartoons of Richard the Lionheart looking down on Jerusalem from the heavens with the caption reading " At last my dream has come true . "