Ṣalāḥ ad-Dīn Yūsuf ibn Ayyūb( Arabic:صلاح الدين يوسف بن أيوب‎; Kurdish:سه-لاحه-دین ئه-یوبی, Selahedînê Eyûbî) (1137/1138 – 4 March 1193), better known in the Western worldasSaladin, was the first Sultanof Egyptand Syriaand the founder of the Ayyubid dynasty. A Muslimof Kurdish [ 1 ] [ 2 ] [ 3 ]origin, Saladin led the Muslim opposition to the European Crusadersin the Levant. At the height of his power, his sultanate included Egypt, Syria, Mesopotamia, Hejaz, Yemenand other parts of North Africa.
Originally sent to Fatimid Egyptby his Zengidlord Nur ad-Dinin 1163, Saladin climbed the ranks of the Fatimid government by virtue of his military successes against Crusader assaults on its territory and his personal closeness to the caliph al-Adid. When Saladin's uncle Shirkuhdied in 1169, al-Adid appointed Saladin vizier, a rare nomination of a Sunni Muslimto such an important position in the Shia Muslim-led caliphate. During his term as vizier Saladin began to undermine the Fatimid establishment, and following al-Adid's death in 1171 he took over the government and realigned the country's allegiance with the Baghdad-based Abbasid Caliphate. In the following years, he led forays against the Crusaders in Palestine, ordered the successful conquest of Yemenand staved off pro-Fatimid rebellions in Upper Egypt.
Not long after the death of Nur ad-Din in 1174, Saladin personally led the conquest of Syria, peacefully entering Damascusat the request of its ruler. By mid-1175, Saladin had conquered Hamaand Homs, inviting the animosity of his former Zengid lords, who had been the official rulers of Syria. Soon after, he defeated the Zengid army in battle and was thereafter proclaimed the "Sultan of Egypt and Syria" by the Abbasid caliph al-Mustadi. He made further conquests in northern Syria and Jazira, escaping two attempts on his life by the Assassins,
