Saladin
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Ṣalāḥ ad-Dīn Yūsuf ibn Ayyūbi
Sultan of Egypt and Syria
Standbeeld Saladin Damascus.JPG
Statue of Saladin in Damascus.
Reign 1174–1193
Coronation 1174, Cairo
Full name Ṣalāḥ ad-Dīn Yūsuf ibn Ayyūbi
Born c. 1137–1138
Birthplace Tikrit, Iraq[1]
Died March 4, 1193 CE (aged 55–56)
Place of death Damascus, Syria
Buried Umayyad Mosque, Damascus, Syria
Predecessor Nur ad-Din Zangi
Successor Al-Afdal (Syria)
Al-Aziz Uthman (Egypt)
Dynasty Ayyubid
Father Najm ad-Dīn Ayyūb
Religious beliefs Sunni Islam
Ṣalāḥ ad-Dīn Yūsuf ibn Ayyūbi (Arabic: صلاح الدين يوسف بن أيوب, Ṣalāḥ al-Dīn Yūsuf ibn Ayyūb, Kurdish: سهلاحهدین ئهیوبی, Selah'edînê Eyubî , Persian: صلاحالدین ایوبی, Salāh-ed-Dīn-e Ayyūbī) (c. 1138 – March 4, 1193), better known in the Western world as Saladin, was a Kurdish[2][3][4] Muslim, who became the first Ayyubid Sultan of Egypt and Syria. He led Islamic opposition to the Franks and other European Crusaders in the Levant. At the height of his power, he ruled over Egypt, Syria, Mesopotamia, Hejaz, and Yemen.
He led the Muslims against the Crusaders and eventually recaptured Palestine from the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem after his victory in the Battle of Hattin. As such, he is a notable figure in Kurdish, Arab, and Muslim culture. Saladin was a strict adherent of Sunni Islam and a mystical disciple of the Qadiri Sufi order.[5] His chivalrous behavior was noted by Christian chroniclers, especially in the accounts of the siege of Kerak in Moab, and despite being the nemesis of the Crusaders he won the respect of many of them, including Richard the Lionheart; rather than becoming a hated figure in Europe, he became a celebrated example of the principles of chivalry