Saladin
1137–1193 · Kurdish/Ayyubid · The Crusades
Known for: Recaptured Jerusalem from the Crusaders and was renowned for chivalry by both Muslims and Christians
Saladin (Salah ad-Din Yusuf ibn Ayyub) was the Kurdish Muslim commander who united Egypt and Syria, recaptured Jerusalem from the Crusaders in 1187, and became a legend of chivalry in both the Islamic and Christian worlds. He defeated the Crusader army at the Battle of Hattin and took Jerusalem without the massacre that had marked the First Crusade's conquest.
He died at 55, virtually penniless despite ruling a vast empire—he had given away nearly all his wealth. Even Richard the Lionheart, his principal Crusader opponent, praised Saladin's honor. He sent his personal physician to treat Richard when the English king fell ill during the Crusade.
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