This biography of the 12th century Islamic military leader provides a fascinating view of the Crusades and the Medieval Muslim world. Saladin was a Kurdish military leader who led the fight against the Crusades and rose to become first Sultan of Egypt and Syria. He united warring Muslim lands, reconquered the bulk of Crusader states and faced King Richard I of England in one of the most famous confrontations in medieval warfare. His extraordinary character and career are the key to understanding the Battle of Hattin, the fall of Jerusalem and the failure of the Third Crusade. Historian Geoffrey Hindley's study of Saladin’s life and times presents a nuanced portrait of this remarkable man who dominated the Middle East in his day. It also offers fascinating insight into the politics and culture of the 12th century Muslim world.

Saladin

The Ayyubid Empire

This new MWNF Travel Book was conceived not long before the war started. All texts refer to the pre-war situation and are our expression of hope that Syria, a land that witnessed the evolution of civilisation since the beginnings of human history, may soon become a place of peace and the driving force behind a new and peaceful beginning for the entire region. Bilad al-Sham testifies to a thorough and strategic programme of urban reconstruction and reunification during the 12th and 13th centuries. Amidst a period of fragmentation, visionary leadership came with the Atabeg Nur al-Din Zangi. He revived Syria’s cities as safe havens to restore order. His most agile Kurdish general, Salah al-Din (Saladin), assumed power after he died and unified Egypt and Sham into one force capable of re-conquering Jerusalem from the Crusaders. The Ayyubid Empire flourished and continued the policy of patronage. Though short-lived, this era held long-lasting resonance for the region. Its recognisable architectural aesthetic – austere, yet robust and perfected ‒ survived until modern times. The Ayyubid Era: Art and Architecture in Medieval Syria describes eight thematic Itineraries including, among others, the cities of Damascus, Bosra, Homs, Hama, Aleppo and Raqqa.

The Ayyubid Era. Art and Architecture in Medieval Syria

Upon the death of Saladin in 1193, his vast empire, stretching from the Yemen to the upper reaches of the Tigris, fell into the hands of his Ayyubid kinsmen. These latter parceled his domains into a number of autonomous principalities, though some common identity was maintained by linking these petty states into a loose confederation, in which each local prince owed allegiance to the senior member of the Ayyubid house. Such an arrangement was, of course, highly unstable, and at first glance Ayyubid history appears to be no more than a succession of unedifying squabbles among countless rival princelings, until at last the family's hegemony was extinguished by two events: 1) a coup d'état staged by the palace guard in Egypt in 1250, and 2) the Mongol occupation of Syria, brief but destructive, in 1260. But appearances to the contrary, the obscure quarrels of Saladin's heirs embodied a political revolution of highest importance in Syro-Egyptian history. The seven decades of Ayyubid rule mark the slow and sometimes violent emergence of a new administrative relationship between Egypt and Syria, one in which Syria was subjected to close centralized control from Cairo for the unprecedented period of 250 years. These years saw also the gradual decay of a form of government—the family confederation—which had been the most characteristic political structure of Western Iran and the Fertile Crescent for three centuries, and its replacement by a unitary autocracy. Finally, it was under the Ayyubids that the army ceased to be an arm of the state and became, in effect, the state itself. When these internal developments are seen in the broader context of world history as it affected Syria during the first half of the thirteenth century—Italian commercial expansion, the Crusades of Frederick II and St. Louis, the Mongol expansion—then the great intrinsic interest of Ayyubid history becomes apparent. Professor Humphreys has developed these themes through close examination of the political fortunes of the Ayyubid princes of Damascus. For Damascus, though seldom the capital of the Ayyubid confederation, was, nevertheless, its hinge. The struggle for regional autonomy vs. centralization, for Syrian independence vs. Egyptian domination, was fought out at Damascus, and the city was compelled to stand no less than eleven sieges during the sixty-seven years of Ayyubid rule. Almost every political process of real significance either originated with the rulers of Damascus or was closely reflected in their policy and behavior. The book is cast in the form of a narrative, describing a structure of politics which was in no way fixed and static, but dynamic and constantly evolving. Indeed, the book does not so much concern the doings of a group of rather obscure princes as it does the values and attitudes which underlay and shaped their behavior. The point of the narrative is precisely to show what these values were, how they were expressed in real life, and how they changed into quite new values in the course of time.

From Saladin to the Mongols

The conquest of Jerusalem by Saladin in 583/1187, after nearly nine decades of Frankish rule, opened a new era of cultural, socio-economic and architectural changes. The renewed political fervour that followed it gave a fresh impetus to an extensive building activity initiated by the Ayyubids, which signified a renaissance in the style of Islamic architecture. Such style is exemplified in a large variety of monuments which would come to influence the magnificent Medieval Islamic architecture of Jerusalem. This research provides a comprehensive architectural and archaeological study of the Ayyubid monuments that still remain in the Old City of Jerusalem. These monuments are described and recorded by means of survey drawings and photographs, providing essential archaeological data, thus complementing the epigraphic, archival and literary historical evidence. The work comprises six chapters. A brief historical overview of the Ayyubid state, the major factors on which it was based, makes the first chapter. The sources of information utilised in this research are illustrated in the second chapter. Chapter three deals with Jerusalem in the political context of the Ayyubid state: the role Jerusalem played in the propagation of jihad against the Franks; the administrative and demographic changes introduced by the Ayyubids. Chapter four examines the architectural changes that were introduced by the Ayyubids, emphasising how political and socio- economic factors determined construction projects in the city. Chapter five constitutes the core of the book: a catalogue of the extant Ayyubid buildings in Jerusalem. These are grouped chronologically, with detailed architectural, archaeological and historical analysis, as well as interpretations of their structural evolution. In addition, four appendices list Ayyubid buildings which were rebuilt in later periods, buildings which no longer exist known from inscriptions and literary sources, segments of buildings, and an up-to-date list of Ayyubid inscriptions found in thecity and its surroundings. Chapter six discusses the various aspects and principal features characterising Ayyubid architecture in Jerusalem and its unique style as an amalgamation of Ayyubid Syrian, Crusader and local traditions. Coloured and black-and-white photographs and drawings of plans, sections, elevations and other illustrations of these buildings are included.

Ayyubid Jerusalem (1187-1250)

Ayyubids, Mamlukes and Crusaders: Text

An engaging biography that offers a new perspective on one of the most influential figures of the Crusades In 1187, Saladin marched triumphantly into Jerusalem, ending decades of struggle against the Christians and reclaiming the holy city for Islam. Four years later he fought off the armies of the Third Crusade, which were commanded by Europe’s leading monarchs. A fierce warrior and savvy diplomat, Saladin’s unparalleled courtesy, justice, generosity, and mercy were revered by both his fellow Muslims and his Christian rivals such as Richard the Lionheart. Combining thorough research with vivid storytelling, Jonathan Phillips offers a fresh and captivating look at the triumphs, failures, and contradictions of one of the Crusades’ most unique figures. Bringing the vibrant world of the twelfth century to life, this book also explores Saladin’s complicated legacy, examining the ways Saladin has been invoked in the modern age by Arab and Muslim leaders ranging from Nasser in Egypt, Asad in Syria, and Saddam Hussein in Iraq to Osama bin Laden, as well as his huge appeal across popular culture in books, drama, and music.

The Life and Legend of the Sultan Saladin

Using the life and writings of Cyril III Ibn Laqlaq, 75th patriarch of the Coptic Orthodox Church, along with a variety of Christian and Muslim chroniclers, this study explores the identity and context of the Christian community of Egypt and its relations with the leadership of the Ayyubid dynasty in the early thirteenth century. Kurt Werthmuller introduces new scholarship that illuminates the varied relationships between medieval Christians of Egypt and their Muslim neighbors. Demonstrating that the Coptic community was neither passive nor static, the author discusses the active role played by the Copts in the formation and evolution of their own identity within the wider political and societal context of this period. In particular, he examines the boundaries between Copts and the wider Egyptian society in the Ayyubid period in three "in-between spaces": patriarchal authority, religious conversion, and monasticism.

Coptic Identity and Ayyubid Politics in Egypt, 1218-1250

Ayyubid Jerusalem

This chronicle is the fullest and best historical source fro the conquest of Yemen to the end of the 13th century. In two volumes: Vol. I contains a critical edition of the Arabic text of Kitab al-Simt al-Ghali al-Thaman fi Akhbar al-Muluk min al-Ghuzz bi'l-Yaman, Badr al-Din Muhammad b. Hatim al-Yami al-Hamdani, Vol. II is a study of Ibn Hatim's Kitab al-Simt. Muhammad b. Hatim's chronicle, which has not been published previously, is the fullest and best historical source on Yemen for the period it covers, from the conquest of Yemen by Saladin's brother Turanshah to the author's own time, by which the Rasulids, who had come to the country as followers of the Ayyubids, had replaced their old masters as its rulers. Ibn Hatim himself came from an Isma'ili tribe of the region of San'a. From the middle of the 13th century he often gives his own account of events and he soon became one of a group of leading Amirs involved in the management of affairs for the Rasulid Sultan al-Muzaffar and thus well informed of the political situation. His book was begun in 1295. Vol. I contains the text of the Kitab al-Simt, edited on the basis of the three known manuscripts. Vol. II includes studies of the author and his work, and of aspects of the Yemeni history of the period, as well as a glossary, geographical and tribal indices and maps. G. Rex Smith was Professor of Arabic in the University of Manchester with numerous publications on the Yemen.

Ayyubids and Early Rasulids in The Yemen

Examines the life of the very powerful and influential Muslim sultan, Saladin, who led his people in an attempt to regain holy lands in and around Jerusalem that had been lost during earlier Crusades.

Saladin is the greatest hero of the Middle East, a legendary figure admired and revered to this day. This is the first serious biographyin over 20 years and the first ever by a non-western scholar in English. It shows that Saladin's genius was not in warfare but in giving the people of Middle East a spiritual vision.

In this authoritative biography, historian John Man brings Saladin and his world to life with vivid detail in "a rollicking good story" (Justin Marozzi).

SALADIN is one of the few Oriental Personages who need no introduction to English readers. Sir Walter Scott has performed that friendly office with the warmth and insight of appreciative genius. It was Saladin's good fortune to attract the notice not only of the great romancer, but also of King Richard, and to this accident he partly owes the result that, instead of remaining a dry historical expression, under the Arabic style of "el-Melik en-Nasir Salah-eddin Yusuf ibn Ayyub," he has become, by the abbreviated name of "Saladin," that familiar and amiable companion which is called a household word. The idea, it is true, is vague and romantic.

Saladin and the Fall of Jerusalem

This Osprey Command book looks closely at the early life, military experiences and key battlefield exploits of Al-Malik al-Nasir Yusuf Ibn Najm al-Din Ayyub Ibn Shahdi Abu'l-Muzaffar Salah al-Din – or Saladin as he is more commonly known outside the Islamic world – who is broadly regarded as the greatest hero of the Crusades, even in Europe. Most chroniclers present him as a man of outstanding virtue, courage and political skill. More recently, however, efforts have been made to portray Saladin as an ambitious, ruthless and even devious politician, and as a less brilliant commander than is normally thought. This book sets out to reveal that the truth is, as usual, somewhere in between.

In 1187, Christian Europe was shaken by the momentous defeat of the Crusaders at Hattin, and the Muslim capture of Jerusalem. Saladin's victory marked the beginning of the end for the Crusader states. This book examines and analyses this, Saladin's greatest victory.

Hattin, 1187

Saladin, one of the most prominent figure of the time of the Crusades, was a great muslim leader, respected and praised even by his Crusader foes.

The life of Saladin and the fall of the kingdom of Jerusalem

Salah al Din Yusif ibn Ayyub, known to his Muslim contemporaries as al Nasi, 'The Victorious', and to an admiring Europe as Saladin, is the most famous single figure in the history of the Crusades, being even better known outside the English-speaking world than his Christian foe Richard the Lionheart. Traditionally portrayed as a quiet, deeply religious and even humble man, Saladin was a typical product of his day and his culture. This title shows how the societies and military systems that he and his successors led from defeat to eventual triumph were far more sophisticated than is generally realised, and brings vividly to life the history, organisation, arms and armour of Saladin and the Saracens.

Saladin and the Saracens

A History of the Ayyūbid Sultans of Egypt

The Ayyubids, the dynasty founded by Saladin, ruled Egypt from the mid-twelfth to the mid-thirteenth century, a period of great changes in the cities of al-Fustat and al-Qahira, forerunners of modern Cairo. Al-Qahira, under the preceding Fatimid dynasty, a forbidden royal enclosure, was opened up to the general populace, while in both cities religious buildings, public baths, commercial institutions, and fortifications were pulled down, restored, or newly established. The great citadel of Cairo, the seat of power in Egypt for the next seven hundred years, was built on a spur of the Muqattam Hills. Although the Ayyubids governed Egypt for only eighty years, what was accomplished in urban terms in that period formed the basis of the later and long-lived rule of the Mamluks. Drawing on a wide range of documents and contemporary accounts, as well as later studies, Dr. MacKenzie first reviews the state of affairs in al-Qahira and al-Fustat at the end of the Fatimid dynasty. He then examines the structure of the Ayyubid administration and the associated military, religious, and commercial milieux, before going on to survey in detail the changes which took place under the Ayyubids in the general layout of Cairo: in defenses, in governmental and private buildings, in water resources and public baths, in religious institutions and cemetery areas, and in markets and commercial establishments. This definitive and comprehensive study, the first of its kind, is supplemented by a glossary of Arabic terms, a chronological table of the Fatimid and Ayyubid dynasties, and three large, loose-leaf maps showing the positions of all identifiable sites discussed in the text.

Ayyubid Cairo

Egypt and Syria in the Fatimid, Ayyubid and Mamluk Eras: Proceedings of the 9th and 10th International Colloquium organized at the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in May 2000 and May 2001

Each volume deals with a wide variety of scholarly subjects, all revolving around the central theme of Syro-Egypt's high and late medieval history. Topics dealt with include archaeology, architecture, codicology, economic, political, and religious history, as well as belles-lettres.

Egypt and Syria in the Fatimid, Ayyubid, and Mamluk Eras

The Ayyubid Dynasty, established by Salahuddin Ayyubi (Saladin) in the 12th century, was a prominent Islamic dynasty that played a significant role in the history of the Middle East. Known for their military prowess and cultural achievements, the Ayyubids controlled vast territories, including Egypt, Syria, and parts of Iraq. Their reign marked a period of stability and cultural exchange, fostering the development of architecture, art, and scholarship. Their influence extended beyond their time, with Saladin's reputation as a chivalrous and skilled leader enduring through the ages, making the Ayyubid Dynasty a pivotal chapter in Islamic history. For modern SEO optimization, ensure to include relevant keywords like "Ayyubid Dynasty," "Salahuddin Ayyubi," and "Middle East history" to enhance visibility and relevance.