Saladin

**Salah ad-Din Yusuf ibn Ayyub** (c. 1137 – 4 March 1193), dem commonly know as **Saladin**, na he a Kurdish commander den political leader. He be de founder of de Ayyubid dynasty den de first sultan of both Egypt den Syria. An important figure of de Third Crusade, he spearhead de Muslim military effort against de Crusader states insyd de Levant. At de height of ein power, de Ayyubid realm span Egypt, Syria, Upper Mesopotamia, de Hejaz, Yemen, den Nubia.

Alongside ein uncle Shirkuh, a Kurdish mercenary commander in service of de Zengid dynasty, Dem send Saladin to Fatimid Egypt insyd 1164, on de orders of de Zengid ruler Nur ad-Din. Plus dema original purpose be to help restore Shawar as de vizier to de teenage Fatimid caliph al-Adid, na a power struggle ensue between Shirkuh den Shawar after dem reinstate de latter. Saladin, meanwhile, climb de ranks of de Fatimid government by virtue of ein military successes against Crusader assaults den ein personal closeness to al-Adid. After dem assassinate Shawar wey Shirkuh die insyd 1169, al-Adid appoint Saladin as vizier. During ein tenure, Saladin, a Sunni Muslim, begin to undermine de Fatimid establishment; dey follow al-Adid ein death insyd 1171, he abolish de Cairo-based Fatimid Caliphate wey na be an Isma'ili (a branch within Shia Islam), wey he realign Egypt plus de Baghdad-based Sunni Abbasid Caliphate.

Insyd de years wey dey follow, Saladin lead forays against de Crusaders insyd Palestine, he commission de successful conquest of Yemen, den stave off pro-Fatimid rebellions insyd Egypt. No be long after Nur ad-Din die insyd 1174, Saladin launch ein conquest of Syria, peacefully dey enter Damascus at de request of ein governor. By mid-1175, Saladin conquer Hama den Homs, wey dey invite de animosity of oda Zengid lords, wey na be de official rulers of Syria ein principalities; he subsequently defeat de Zengids at de Battle of de Horns of Hama insyd 1175 wey dem der after proclaim am de Sultan of Egypt den Syria by de Abbasid caliph al-Mustadi. Saladin launch further conquests insyd northern Syria den Upper Mesopotamia, wey he escape two attempts on ein life by de Order of Assassins before he return to Egypt insyd 1177 to address local issues der. By 1182, Saladin plete de conquest of Syria after he capture Aleppo buh he fail to take over de Zengid stronghold of Mosul.

Under Saladin ein command, de Ayyubid army defeat de Crusaders at de decisive Battle of Hattin insyd 1187, wey he capture Jerusalem den re-establish Muslim military dominance insyd de Levant. Although de Crusaders dema Kingdom of Jerusalem persist til de late 13th century, de defeat insyd 1187 mark a turning point insyd de Christian military effort against Muslim powers insyd de region. Saladin die insyd Damascus insyd 1193, wey he give away much of ein personal wealth to ein subjects; dem bury am insyd a mausoleum adjacent to de Umayyad Mosque. Alongside ein significance to Muslim culture, Saladin be revered prominently insyd Kurdish, Turkic, den Arab culture. He frequently be described as de most famous Kurdish figure insyd history.

## Early life
Dem born Saladin insyd Tikrit insyd present-day Iraq. Ein personal name be "Yusuf"; "Salah ad-Din" be a *laqab*, an honorific epithet, wey dey mean "Righteousness of de Faith". Ein parents be of Kurdish ancestry, wey na dem originate from de village of Ajdanakan near de city of Dvin insyd central Armenia. He be de son of a Kurdish mercenary Najm ad-Din Ayyub. De Rawadiya tribe wey he hail from be partially assimilated into de Arabic-speaking world by dis time.

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## References


## External links

* Rosebault Ch.J. Saladin. Prince of Chivalri
* De expugnatione terrae sanctae per Saladinum A European account of Saladin's conquests of the Crusader states. (insyd Latin)
* Saladin: The Sultan and His Times, 1138–1193 
* Richard and Saladin: Warriors of the Third Crusade
* Full transcript of: Lane-Poole, Stanley (1906). Saladin and the Fall of the Kingdom of Jerusalem.