Religious Leader. Born Salahuddin Ayyubi in Mesopotamia of Kurdish heritage, he lived 10 years in Damascus, Syria at the court of Sultan Nur al-Din, where he took an interest in Sunni Islamic theology. After the death of Nur-Ad-Din, Saladin proclaimed himself Sultan of Egypt, marking the beginning of the Ayyubid dynasty. As his conquests continued, from Yemen to Africa to Palestine, he eventually had conflicts with the crusader states, like Kingdom of Jerusalem. At the Battle of Hattin against Jerusalem, in 1187, he won brilliantly and captured the Crusader leaders Guy of Lusignan and Renaud de Chatillon. Guy was set free, but Renaud, who had raided Muslim territory in defiance of treaties, was shown no mercy. He cursed the Prophet Muhammad's name when captured, and Saladin killed him right on the spot in a fit of rage. When Jerusalem later fell to him, it marked the beginning of the Third Crusade, but in the end, Saladin made a peace treaty with King Richard Iof England and King Phillip of France in 1192. When Richard grew ill, Saladin sent his opponent mountain snow and fruit to comfort him. Upon his death, he was interred in a tomb near the Umayyad (Omayyad) Mosque.

Religious Leader. Born Salahuddin Ayyubi in Mesopotamia of Kurdish heritage, he lived 10 years in Damascus, Syria at the court of Sultan Nur al-Din, where he took an interest in Sunni Islamic theology. After the death of Nur-Ad-Din, Saladin proclaimed himself Sultan of Egypt, marking the beginning of the Ayyubid dynasty. As his conquests continued, from Yemen to Africa to Palestine, he eventually had conflicts with the crusader states, like Kingdom of Jerusalem. At the Battle of Hattin against Jerusalem, in 1187, he won brilliantly and captured the Crusader leaders Guy of Lusignan and Renaud de Chatillon. Guy was set free, but Renaud, who had raided Muslim territory in defiance of treaties, was shown no mercy. He cursed the Prophet Muhammad's name when captured, and Saladin killed him right on the spot in a fit of rage. When Jerusalem later fell to him, it marked the beginning of the Third Crusade, but in the end, Saladin made a peace treaty with King Richard Iof England and King Phillip of France in 1192. When Richard grew ill, Saladin sent his opponent mountain snow and fruit to comfort him. Upon his death, he was interred in a tomb near the Umayyad (Omayyad) Mosque.

Bio by: Mongoose