Battle of al - Babein The Battle of al - Babein took place on March 18 , 1167 , between Amalric I of Jerusalem and a Zengid army under Shirkuh for control of Egypt . Saladin served as Shirkuh ’ s highest - ranking officer in the battle . The battle was a tactical draw between the Zengid forces and King Amalric ' s invasion army . Background . After the death of Zengi , his son , Nur al - Din came to power in Aleppo . In 1154 , he gained control of Damascus when there was no one in power over the city . He became the first Seljuq leader since the 1090s to unite north and south Syria . Nur al - Din embraced jihad ideals when battling against the Franks and was a crucial figure in the recovery of Jerusalem . Vizier Shawar had full authority over the Fatimids and was the advisor to the caliph . Shawar required the support of Nur al - Din ’ s generals to gain control . Shawar turned to Shirkuh for assistance . After Shawar found out Shirkuh ’ s price for fighting for him was higher than he was willing to pay , Shawar turned to Amalric . Shirkuh was almost ready to establish territory of his own in Egypt when Amalric I invaded . After several months of campaigning , Shrikuh was forced to withdraw . Shirkuh had the ability to conduct politics and aspired to become Nur al - Din ’ s right hand man . Shirkuh fought in the Battle of Inab in 1149 . He had killed Raymond of Antioch in the battle fighting one on one with him . After that battle , he gained his reputation for his attention to detail and his excellence with tactics . When Nur al - Din captured Damascus in 1154 , he sent Shirkuh before the ambassadors to negotiate the terms for the border lines between Damascus and Aleppo . Amalric I was the king of Jerusalem , and held power from 1163 to 1174 . Amalric had been an ally and nominal protector for the Fatimid government . In 1167 , Amalric wanted to destroy the Zengid army sent by Nur al - Din from Syria . Amalric depended on his Military Orders for his invasion of Egypt . The Military Orders is a Christian order of Knighthood . The Military Orders were set down for the Knights Hospitaller and the Knights Templar to go against pagans or Muslims , or in the Holy Lands , to anyone who persecuted the Christian beliefs and practices . Amalric ’ s obsession was to take over Egypt , after first trying to befriend the nation . Later on , he decided to serve under Saladin after he declared himself sultan in 1171 . Another key participant in the battle of al - Babein was Saladin . Saladin entered the army at the age of 14 . At age of 18 , he was promoted as personal officer to Nur al - Din . At first Saladin was reluctant to go with his uncle , Shirkuh , to take over Egypt . Saladin only agreed to this because Shirkuh was family . He took thousands of troops , his bodyguards , and 200 , 000 gold pieces to Egypt , to take over the nation . Because Amalric was an ally and protector of the Fatimid government , fighting in the Battle of al - Babein was in his best interest . He invaded Egypt several times during his reign . These campaigns were not very successful , as they always ran into complications leading to failure each time . Nur al - Din organized the battle strategy on the Muslim side . Nur al - Din was the Muslim leader who unified Syria . The troops were led by Shirkuh . Since both sides wanted to be in charge of Egypt , whoever won the battle would accomplish that goal . This contest brought on the Battle of al - Babein in 1167 . Battle . King Amalric ordered only his mounted forces to chase Shirkuh and the Muslims out of Egypt at the beginning of the battle . Amalric chased Shirkuh ’ s troops up the valley of the Nile and across the river to Giza . The chase almost worked , but the Muslims turned to fight Amalric where the cultivated ground ended and the desert began . The steep slopes and soft sand reduced the effectiveness of the Latin army . King Amalric I ’ s army was weakened because he only took a handful of men with him to pursue Shirkuh . He commanded 374 armed Frankish horsemen along with the mounted archers known as Turcopoles . The Christian knights also sided with Almaric I in order to go after Shirkuh ’ s army . Shirkuh came up with a plan to draw the Franks , along with Amalric , away from the battlefield . Shirkuh ’ s plan was for the Latin cavalry charge to find no worthy target . Shirkuh hoped to lessen the severity of the fight . He wanted the Franks to think that all his best men were in the center surrounding him . Among those in the center line was Saladin , Shirkuh ’ s nephew . Saladin , under Shrikuh ’ s orders , was to retreat once the Franks moved closer . Amalric fell for Shirkuh ’ s plan . Amalric sent his main attack toward the center of Shirkuh ’ s troops . Saladin then drew Amalric and the Franks away from the battlefield . The fight broke off into smaller skirmishes . Some of the skirmishes were won by the Franks and others by the Turks . When Amalric returned from pursuing Saladin , he rallied his troops together . Amalric lined up his troops and marched straight through the enemy lines , fighting all enemy opposition along the way . Amalric then marched off the battlefield with his army . Neither side left with a victory . The Franks lost one hundred knights and failed to destroy Shrikuh ’ s army . This also cost Amalric ’ s chance to become the ruler of Egypt .