1. One hero for two cultures :
Saladin
Lab in Heritage Interpretation
prof. Claudio Visentin
Anaa Saleem
Elnara Mehdiyeva
Elnara Huseynova

2. Table of Content
I. Introduction
II. Brief history
• Ayyubid Dynasty
• Saladin & Crusaders
III. Popularity between cultures
• Islamic/Arabic world
• Western perspective
IV. Saladin & Tourism
V. Discussion

3. SALADIN
 Saladin is well known to be
one of the most famous
Muslim military heroes &
one of the greatest Kings in
the world. In the late 12th
century he succeeded in
unifying various parts of the
Middle East and
Mesopotamia & in
overtaking the early
Crusades army through a
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combination of shrewd
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diplomacy and decisive

4. Saladin ‘s Background
 Name: Yousif Ayoub Abu Al-Mouthafar.
Known in Arabic (Salah ad Dien Al-Ayoubi)
 Originally from: Kurdistan
 Place and Date of Birth: Tikrit, Iraq - 1138
 Religion: Muslim
 Descriptive Epithet: Saladin means
(Righteousness of the Faith) & Al-Malik Al-Nasir
(Victorious King)
 He created: The Ayyubid Dynasty from 1174 to
1341; situated today in Egypt, Libya, Tunisia,
Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Jordan, Iraq, Syria,
Palestine, Israel & Turkey
 Death: 1193, Damascus at the age of 55/56 discussio
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5. Brief History
• In 1163 the King of Levant (Nour
Al-Din Zengy) sent an army led by
(Asad Al-Din Shrikuh) to Egypt in
a response of a help call from the
Minister of Egypt to aid the State’s
domestic problems. Saladin went
to Egypt too with the Levant’s
army
• By the time Asad Al-Din Shrikuh
became the Minister of Egypt and
after his death Saladin took his
place
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history Governor of tourism
• In 1171 he became the cultures n
Egypt

6. Brief History
•In 1174 Saladin became the
Governor of Hijaz & Yemen (parts of
what is known as the Arabian
Peninsula)
•After Nour Al-Din Zengy’s death in
the same year - the Governor of
Levant
unification of his dynasty with the
governors in the Turkish lands and in
the west of Iraq
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7. Ayyubid Dynasty

8. Ayyubid Dynasty in his era:
 The Political Situation:
 Unified Muslim countries
 Unified Jerusalem to
Muslim Lands
 Saladin gained the respect
from Crusade kings
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9.  Social Situation:
 The construction & architecture have been
developed
 The building of new facilities : schools & mosques
 The enhancement of the art of poems & poetry
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10.  Economic situation:
 More active trading between Egypt and Levant
 More energy on the agricultural side
 These continuous wars caused Economic crisis,
Starvation and Poverty
 two parties to make the truces
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11.  Religious Situation:
 More Islamic writings were published
 Saladin was deeply attached to the Islamic Religion
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12. Saladin & the Crusaders
Crusade’s Background History:
 The Crusader’s military was composed of Roman
Catholics from all over Western Europe. It was
launched in response to a call from the leaders of the
Byzantine Empire (the eastern Roman Orthodox
Empire) & its capital city was Constantinople (Istanbul
now) to fight against the expansion of Muslim
countries in order to protect Christian Pilgrimage in
Jerusalem, moreover expand their Empire in the east
 The Crusades in the Muslims East were from 1096 to
1291
 The Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem was a Catholic
Kingdom established in the Levant in 1099
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13. Saladin and the Crusaders
 In 1180 Saladin accomplished a truce with King
Baldwin IV (King of Jerusalem) that contained the
free passing and trading borders between the two
parties - the Muslims & the Christians, after a long
series of battles between the two sides upon The
Levant area
 In1182 several wars took place between the two
parties
 In1187 the Muslim lands had faced a conquest by
the Crusaders; they crowned themselves to be
Kings and Princes to those lands, this led to the
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need of a battle to release the land & stop
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harassing the Muslim caravans

14.  July 4th 1187 Battle of Hattin, held
on Hattin Hills, Palestine
 Duration 7 hours: the Muslim army -
25.000
the Crusade’s -
63.000
• ended by the Muslim’s victory & the
capture of (Guy of Lusignan) King of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guy_of_Lusignan
The Crusader State of Jerusalem
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15. On September 20th 1187 Saladin took back Jerusalem to
the Muslims Lands. He treated the Crusaders there with
mercy as he didn’t kill anyone & gave them time to go
back to Europe again in 40 days with paying a Tribute of
10 Dinar for every man, 5 Dinar for every woman, and 1
Dinar for every child.

16. Saladin and the Crusaders
 3rd Crusade Army to Jerusalem, led by
Richard Lion Heart (King of England) &
Philip Augustus (King of France)
 September 7th 1191 Battle of Arsuf : the
Crusade’s victory but they couldn’t
enter Jerusalem
 Until June 1192 Saladin & Richard
signed a new truce: “Jerusalem stays
under Muslims Lands & it allowed
Christians to practice their pilgrimage”
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17. Saladin’s 2 popular says:
“Bury with me my sword, for it to bear good
witness for me on the Day of Judgment”.
“Praise is to God, for he brought victory to
Islam through the faithful and was benevolent to
Muslims”.

18. Saladin’s Death
 died on the 4th of
March 1193 at the
age of 55/ 56
 buried in Azizia
School near The
Umayyad Mosque,
Damascus, Syria
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20. SALADIN IN THE ISLAMIC / ARABIC WORLD
 Saladin  is one of the miracles of Islam impressive
The Hero who gave Jerusalem its freedom
Humble King  they found only a few boxes in his
cupboard after his death
 Victorious King  stabilized country conditions of
Egypt
Diplomacy and Nobel Leader  his forgiveness & mercy
were shown when he treated the captives gently and
allowed them to get their freedom by paying a Tribute
after taking back Jerusalem
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21. SALADIN IN THE ISLAMIC / ARABIC WORLD
Sophisticated Leader  he developed the country
in a sophisticated way to reach its peak at that era
Loyal  he was known for keeping his promises
and truces with the Crusades, one of the reasons why
he gained their King’s respect like (Richard the
Lionheart)
One of the most generous rulers in the Islamic
world
Mercy and support of the vulnerable people
Self Confident, Brave, Passion, Fair, Courage,
Gallant Knight
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22. Saladin’ s Popularity between Cultures
 The remarkable popularity among
the leaders of the world even after
his death
 In 1898 Wilhelm ll (Guillaume II)
last German Emperor and the
king of Prussia gave the Ottoman
Sultan (Abdul Hamid) a coffin
made of Onyx Marble in the honor
of the respected Saladin
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24. Saladin’ s Popularity between Cultures
 the Millennium Issue of Times Magazine (December 31,
1999) dedicated a full page for an artist's image of
Saladin: "When Dante Alighieri compiled his great
medieval Who's Who of heroes and villains in the
Divine Comedy, among the highest a non-Christian
could climb was Limbo, Homer, Caesar, Plato and
Dante's guide Vergil. But, perhaps what should not
be most surprising in his catalog of 'Great Hearted
Souls' was a figure 'solitary, set apart, “that figure
was Saladin”. When Dante - the most Christ-centered
verse ever penned-wrote lionizing his name, Saladin
had been dead for one hundred years." This solitary
figure in Dante's Divine Comedy stands today as it did in
the past as a testament to his extraordinary stature.
 some Christians thought that "Saladin had European
blood in his veins, and two a Christian knightdiscussio
was at
heart history tourism
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25. A Legendary Figure in the Western World
I. Prevention of Christian bloodbath
“After capturing Jerusalem in 1187, Saladin's civilized act
in signing the peace treaty & saving Christian blood was
indeed a pious act. He not only spared the lives of 100,000
Christians, but also guaranteed their safe departure along
with their property and belongings. They were given forty
days to prepare for departure”
II. Releasing prisoners who were not able to pay their
ransom
“Part of the condition of the surrender of Jerusalem, was
that each Christian pays her or his ransom. Thousands of
Christians, mainly women, were not able to pay their
ransom. To save them from slavery, al-Adel, Saladin's
brother, Geukburi, Saladin's brother-in law and Saladin
himself, instead paid their ransom out of their own pockets.
This act was done in spite of the fact that some rich
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Christians such as the Patriarch, Heraclius and Madame la
history tourism
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Patriarchesse of Jerusalem had so much wealth that they n
had currency by the load”

27. III. Beyond justice
“During the forty days respite that was given to the
Westerners to leave Jerusalem, several Christian
women approached Saladin stating that their guardians
(husbands, fathers or sons) had been missing. They
explained to Saladin that they had no one to look after
them, nor did they have any shelter. He ordered his
soldiers to find their missing guardians, and that for
those of them whose guardian was determined dead,
they should be given a liberal compensation”
IV. "Victory is changing the hearts of your opponents
by gentleness and kindness."- Saladin
“ In September 1192, during the siege of Acre, king
Richard the Lionheart gained a lasting respect for
Saladin. When Richard fell sick, Saladin sent him his
own physician to treat him. Along with this health care,
he frequently sent him ice to cool down his fever and
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history were necessary for his recovery”
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29. V. A pure chivalric romance
“During an offense made by King Richard against
a Muslim squadron under Saladin's son al Zaher,
King Richard's horse was killed and the King of
England was down on the ground. Observing this
scene, Saladin sent him two remounts so that he
would not be at a disadvantage”
VI. Recovery of a snatched child
“During the siege of Acre, a Christian woman
came to Saladin's camp weeping and wailing
insisting that her child was snatched away by his
soldiers. He himself returned the child to his
mother and had them mount on the back of a
mare to be returned twosafely to their camp” discussio
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30. VII. Romance in the freedom of religion
“Through an interpreter, Saladin used to communicate with
virtually all the prisoners of war. During the siege of Acre
several soldiers were captured. Among them was an old
man who was so old that he was toothless and could
hardly walk. Saladin questioned him as to why he was
there. The old man said that he had no thought but to
make a pilgrimage to the Church of the Resurrection in
Jerusalem. Having heard this Saladin provided a horse for
him and ordered that he be escorted to Jerusalem to fulfill
his worship dream”
VIII. Mischief is not tolerated
“Among the captures in the battle of Hettin were Crusade
leaders such as King Guy of Jerusalem, Raymond of
Syden, and Raymond of Chatillon. King Guy and Raymond
of Syden were released and escorted to safety, but
Raymond of Chatillon of the Kerak Castle who had often
ambushed emissaries, pilgrim and merchant caravans,
burned crops and destroyed fruit trees and vegetation was
not spared. Before his execution, however, Saladin gave
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history to become a Muslim and repent, but he
him the chance tourism
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refused”

31. • The French historian Rene Grousse described
Saladin saying: “…It is equally true that his
generosity, his piety, devoid of fanaticism,
that flower of liberality and courtesy which
had been the model of our old chroniclers,
won him no less popularity in Frankish
Syria than in the lands of Islam’’.
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32. Movies & Literature
 Saladin as a character has appeared in many
movies & series. For example : the Arabic movie (
Al Nassir Saladin) and the English movie
(Kingdom of Heaven)
 The epics poems and novels have been written
about him in both languages Arabic and English
such as The Talisman ( Tales of Crusaders) in
1825
 Documentary Movie
 Kingdom of Heaven
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35. Saladin
and
Tourism

36. Syria
 Azizia School
 located in Damascus, Syria
 graves of the heroes Saladin and Nour
Al-Din Zengy
 nearby the Umayyad Mosque - the
Grand Mosque of Damascus is one
of the largest, oldest and holiest
mosques in the world
 it holds a tomb which is said to contain
the head of John the Baptist
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37. Statue of Saladin
• built in 1993, by
architect Abdallah al-
Sayed
 located far away from his
burial site, precisely next to
the historical citadel of
Damascus
 shows Saladin atop his
horse with his soldiers
protecting him on all sides
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38. Egypt
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cairo_Citadel
Architecture
• Saladin Castle (Cairo)
today known as Mohammed Ali
 Citadel of Saladin(Cairo), which is known as
castle
(Mohammed Ali castle) today. Saladin started to
Saladin started to build this castle
but he build this castle but he died before its completion
died before its completion
the Castle contains al-Nasir
Mohamed & the Suleyman Pasha fourteenth century
 the citadel contains the
Mosqueshypostyle al-Nasir Mohamed mosque and the
Suleyman Pasha Mosque

39.  Saladin Castle (Taba)
 located in Pharaoh Island in The Red Sea ,Taba, Egypt
 built by The Crusade’s & later named after Saladin
 the island is surrounded by amazing coral reefs
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40. Jordan
 Baqoura Village
 only Local city and not open for tourists
 the city is where Saladin’s army got ready
for Hattin Battle
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41.  Ajlun Castle
 stands upon Auf
Mountain near Ajloun,
Northern Jordan
 Saladin ordered his
assistance to build this
castle to prevent
Crusader expansions.
 a view of The Ajlun
Mountains, the Dead
Sea & Palestine
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42. the Castle of Kerak

43.  located in Kerak, Jordan
 a large Crusader castle
built in 1142
 controlled by Ayyubid after
the capture of Jerusalem
 museums inside & it is
open touristic place
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44. Places Saladin Castle of Umayyad Ajlun Saladin
Castle Kerak Mosque castle Castle
(Cairo) (Taba)
Excellent 78 7 29 3 3
Very good 43 22 3 4 3
Average 14 10 0 1 0
Poor 1 0 0 0 0
Terrible 0 0 0 0 0
Total 136 39 32 8 6

45. Tourists’ Reviews
’’…one of the most beautiful mosques of the city. The area offers a
perfect view.
A must-see for all tourists”
“… the most amazing part of Cairo, the Islamic art through history and
the amazing architecture”
Saladin Castle (Cairo)
“There are many medieval castles jotted about Europe all with
wonderful history attached but you will be hard pressed to find a
place that tops this one. A much underrated gem I believe which gets
overlooked…”
The Castle of Kerak
“Not every day you have a chance to stand in one country and to be
able to look at 3 other countries. That's how I felt when I visited the
Castle for the first time. Israel Jordon and Saudi is few hundred
meters away “
Saladin Castle (Taba)
“This is a very huge historical place just stay and think and take picture,
very very exciting and peaceful...you dont want to say goodbye... Its
history is unique with roman and Christian influences”
Umayyad mosque
“I really enjoyed wandering in the labyrinth-like castle, in the mysterious
lights, climb in the top and see a full panorama of Tuscany-like

46. Discussion
Can we really consider Saladin as the
greatest king in the world as he showed his
power and control in a diplomatic way?
Does the world need a leader such as
Saladin who spread peace between
religions?
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47. If the Saladin Itinerary was created would it
have
the success?

49. References
1. http://www.sacred-destinations.com/israel/jerusalem-church-of-holy-sepulchre
2. The Archaeology of Society in the Holy Land . Thomas E. Levy
Chapter 29  Settlement and Society formation in Crusader Palestine.
Chapter 30  Between Cairo and Damascus: Rural Life and urban Economics in the holy Land during the
Ayyubid, Mamluk and Ottoman Periods.
3. http://books.google.ch/books?id=-etsKv-
4V2oC&pg=PA512&lpg=PA512&dq=Crusader+and+Ayyubid+Period&source=bl&ots=tGa1idq2gi&sig
=S80rjDc2Alq-zfszmQOtWBLRkHg&hl=en&sa=X&ei=UtmKT-
KLOYmdOvCz5cIJ&ved=0CFcQ6AEwCA#v=onepage&q=Crusader%20and%20Ayyubid%20Period&f=fa
lse
4. Saladin and the fall of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. STANLEY LANE.. Chapter V Saladin's Youth: 1138-
1164
5. http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=11317040
Ibn Katheer. Al-Bedaya wa Al-Nehaya (the begging and the end of history) Book , part 8, 574 AH
time.
6. http://archive.org/details/alhelawy07
Ibn Al-atheer. Al-Kamel fe Al-tarekh (the complete history) Book 12, edition 3. Saladin
7. http://www.islamicbook.ws/tarekh/alkaml-032.html
Baha’a Al-Din Bin Shadad. Seyrat Salah Al-Din (Saladin story).
8. http://www.maktbtna2211.com/book/1587
9. http://www.crusades-encyclopedia.com/primarysourcesthirdcrusade.html
10. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Jerusalem
11. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raynald_of_Ch%C3%A2tillon
12. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ajlun_Castle
13. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cairo_Citadel

50. 14. http://www.egypt4tours.net/ar/article.php?id=108#.T52CiIHQTQs
15. http://itlalala.blogspot.com/2008/02/blog-post_6659.html
16. George Jabour article, Intellectual symposium at the Library of Bashar Al-
Asad, Damascus, Syria. http://www.discover-syria.com/news/735
17. http://www.islamic-study.org/saladin_(salahu_ad-deen).htm
The Institute of Arabic and Islamic Studies in California, USA
18. http://www.sacred-destinations.com/syria/damascus-umayyad-mosque
19. http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g294011-d561047-Reviews-
Umayyad_Mosque-Damascus.html
20. http://www.tripadvisor.in/Attraction_Review-g297557-d1559503-Reviews-
Salah_El_Din_s_Castle-Taba_Red_Sea_and_Sinai.html
21. http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g294201-d553171-Reviews-
or10-Mohamed_Ali_Mosque_Citadel_of_Saladin-Cairo.html#REVIEWS
22. http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g1396864-d555314-Reviews-
Ajlun_Castle_Qala_at_ar_Rabad-Ajlun_Ajlun_Governorate.html
23. http://www.tripadvisor.in/Attraction_Review-g293987-d555747-Reviews-
Kerak_Castle-Dead_Sea_Region.html