Emperor Salah Al-Din
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People have known the name of one of history’s greatest conquerors, who aimed to leave a lasting legacy and promote peace throughout his country, for many centuries among people from various continents. There has never been a braver, more honorable, or more intelligent knight than Salah Al-Din, who constantly practiced mercy and generosity and built some of the most stunning structures that altered the history of a whole nation.
History of Salah El-Din
Salah al-din, often known as Saladin, was the first sultan of Egypt and Syria and the founder of the Ayyubid dynasty, which governed Egypt and Syria from 1169 to 1250 A.D. His name means “The Righteousness of the Faith” (1137–1193). As a result of the several military operations he conducted against the Crusaders, he is regarded as one of Islam’s greatest heroes. He is also the reason the Egyptian flag features an eagle in the middle to symbolize his valor. One of Saladin’s biggest victories was the victory over the Crusaders at the Battle of Hattin in 1187, which resulted in the conquest of Jerusalem and several nearby cities. In Egypt, he is most famous for the construction of Cairo’s citadel which contains an unbelievable amount of majestic mosques and beautiful constructions.
Saladin Achievements
He was born in the Syrian town of Tikrit in 1137 AD as Salah al-din Yusuf Ibn Ayyub to a Kurdish Muslim family. He received training in both warfare and strategy. He was an officer in the Syrian Abbasid Caliphate’s armed forces. He received training from his Zengid Dynasty commander uncle Asad-al-Din Shirkoh. Due to his outstanding performance in the war, he was able to assume leadership roles during military conflicts. He was able to advance from being a soldier to becoming the King of both Egypt and Syria thanks to his exceptional abilities and deftly implemented strategies. He took over as the vizier of the Abbasid Caliphate from his father in 1169. After the Fatimid monarchy was overthrown in 1171, he was made the Sultan of Egypt. When he assumed power in Egypt, he began building a wall around Al-Qahira, or Cairo.
He started building up his kingdom in 1174, and within twelve years, he had taken over Damascus, Aleppo, and Iraq. His noble character and bravery won the admiration of both the Arabian and Western worlds. He was successful in bringing together under one vision all the Muslims from the Arab world, preparing them for Jihad and a counter-crusade against the Christian crusaders. After a bloody conflict with the crusaders that lasted three months, he was able to seize control of Jerusalem in 1187. And when King Richard The Lionheart” gathered his forces to retake Jerusalem with the third crusade, he was unable to penetrate Saladin’s defenses, so Richard and the Crusaders were forced to accept a treaty with Saladin in its place, which granted amnesty and safe passage to the crusader army as well as access for Christian pilgrims to the Holy Places.
Family of Salah El-Din
His major wife was Ismat ad-din Khatun, and he was followed by his sons Al-Aziz Uthman, who seized control of Egypt, and Al-Afdal, who took control of Syria. Saladin has seventeen sons and one daughter from his many wives.
Saladin’s Legacy
Salah El-Din died in 1193 and was buried in his mausoleum outside the Umayyad mosque in Damascus, Syria, but his legacy endured because throughout Arabic and Islamic history he was seen as a figure of velour and resistance. He was also revered for standing as a representation of nobility, honor, and chivalry. He is depicted in medieval art as a great king and a heroic figure because, when he conquered Jerusalem, he spared the lives of the Christian population and provided a safe passage for the defeated crusaders, in contrast to the first crusade, which massacred the entire city. He even sent over his personal physician to King Richard who was wounded in battle.
