OverviewA ruler who united much of Egypt and Syria and took Jerusalem in 1187.CategoryHistorical FigurePeriodc. 1137 – 1193 CE
FamilyHe came from a Kurdish family. His father was Najm al-Din Ayyub.Source: TDV Encyclopaedia of Islam — Salah al-Din
A memorable eventIn 1187, his victory at Hattin weakened the Crusader kingdom that ruled Jerusalem. He then took the city, ending nearly nine decades of Crusader rule there.Source: TDV Encyclopaedia of Islam — Salah al-Din
His place in historyHe founded the Ayyubid ruling family and supported schools and hospitals.Source: TDV Encyclopaedia of Islam — Salah al-Din
Building his ruleSalah al-Din ended the Fatimid caliphate in Egypt in 1171 and later extended his rule in Syria. Aleppo came under his control by agreement in June 1183. This was before his victory at Hattin and capture of Jerusalem in 1187.Source: TDV Encyclopaedia of Islam — Salah al-Din
SourcesOriginal summaries of the cited sources. Qur’anic accounts, later traditions and historical estimates are distinguished; brief profiles do not settle scholarly disagreements.TDV Encyclopaedia of Islam — Salah al-Din
