Saladin
Awards & Honours
0
Awards Won
6
Honours
3
Records
Saladin's record is not measured in trophies but in territory and reputation. He founded the Ayyubid dynasty, became the first sultan of both Egypt and Syria, and at his height ruled from Egypt and Syria across Upper Mesopotamia, the Hejaz, Yemen, and Nubia. He defeated the Crusaders at Hattin in 1187 and recaptured Jerusalem, a feat that had eluded Muslim rulers for nearly nine decades. He appears on the coat of arms of Egypt. His name is commemorated in the Saladin Governorate in Iraq and the Saladin Citadel in Cairo. In historical reputation surveys he is routinely named among the most influential Muslim rulers and among the most famous figures of the Crusades era.
Honours & Distinctions
Founder of the Ayyubid dynasty
Established the dynasty that ruled Egypt and Syria until the Mamluk rise in the mid-13th century.
First Sultan of Egypt and Syria
Proclaimed sultan after the victory at the Horns of Hama.
Mausoleum beside the Umayyad Mosque
Burial site that remains a pilgrimage destination and national monument.
Coat of arms of Egypt
Saladin's eagle appears on the national coat of arms.
Saladin Governorate
An Iraqi province named in his honour.
Saladin Citadel
The fortress he built in Cairo, now a major historic site.
Records & Feats
Recaptured Jerusalem after nearly nine decades of Crusader rule
Took the city on 2 October 1187, reversing the Crusader conquest of 1099.
Founded the Ayyubid dynasty
Established a dynasty that ruled Egypt and Syria until the mid-13th century.
First sultan of both Egypt and Syria
Proclaimed by the Abbasid caliph al-Mustadi in 1175.