Ṣalāḥ ad-Dīn Yūsuf ibn Ayyūb (Ṣalāḥ ad-Dīn Yūsuf ibn Ayyūb) (1137/1138 – March 4, 1193), better known in the Western world as Saladin, is a Kurdish Muslim, who becomes the first Sultan of Egypt and Syria, and founds the Ayyubid dynasty.
He leads Muslim opposition to the Franks and other European Crusaders in the Levant.
At the height of his power, his sultanate includes Egypt, Syria, Mesopotamia, Hejaz, Yemen, and parts of North Africa.
Under his personal leadership, his forces defeats the Crusaders at the Battle of Hattin, leading the way to his recapture of Palestine, which had been seized from the Fatimid Egyptians by the Crusaders 88 years earlier.
Though the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem will continue to exist for a period, its defeat at Hattin marks a turning point in its conflict with the Muslims and Arabs.
As such, Saladin is a prominent figure in Kurdish, Arab, and Muslim culture.
Saladin is a strict adherent of Sunni Islam.
His noble and chivalrous behavior is noted by Christian chroniclers, especially in the accounts of the Siege of Kerak, and despite being the nemesis of the Crusaders, he wins the respect of many of them, including Richard the Lionheart; rather than becoming a hated figure in Europe, he becomes a celebrated example of the principles of chivalry.
