Imad ad-Din Zengi
Ruler of Mosul and Aleppo. Retook the city of Edessa from the crusaders in 1144.
Era 5 of 12 · Station five
The Crusades & Salahuddin
In 1099 an army from Western Europe takes Jerusalem, and the Muslim lands of the Levant, divided among rival rulers, cannot answer at once. Over the next ninety years Zengi, Nur ad-Din and Salahuddin build the unity that was missing. In 1187, after the victory at Hattin, Jerusalem opens its gates to Salahuddin.
Who led, and when
Six who shaped the era
The rulers who shaped the era, in order.
Nur ad-Din
Zengi's son, ruler of Aleppo and Damascus. Remembered for justice and for uniting Syria.
Salahuddin
Rose to power in Egypt and united Egypt and Syria. Won at Hattin and retook Jerusalem in 1187.
Baibars
Mamluk sultan who took back crusader fortresses, including Antioch in 1268.
Qalawun
Mamluk sultan who took Tripoli from the crusaders in 1289.
Al-Ashraf Khalil
Mamluk sultan who took Acre in 1291.
The lands of the era
From Jerusalem to Acre
The crusader states lay along the Mediterranean coast of the Levant, from Antioch in the north to Jerusalem in the south. Egypt, Damascus and Aleppo stood on their flanks, and holding all three together was the key to the era.
- JerusalemHoly city, taken 1099, retaken 1187
- DamascusSeat of Nur ad-Din and Salahuddin
- AleppoZengid stronghold in the north
- CairoFatimid city, then Salahuddin's base
- AcreCrusader port, fell in 1291
This map is a simple sketch to help you picture where events took place. Positions, distances and borders are approximate, so please use it for reference only, not as an accurate map.
At a glance
The era in six facts
The years, the people, the places, and what the era left behind.
- Years
- 1095–1291 CE1095–1291 CE, which is 488–690 AH, a span of about two centuries from the first call to the fall of Acre.
- Rulers
- Zengi, Nur ad-Din and Salahuddin, then the Mamluk sultans Baibars, Qalawun and al-Ashraf Khalil.
- Capital
- Damascus and Cairo were the main seats of Nur ad-Din and Salahuddin.
- Lands
- The Levant, from Antioch to Jerusalem, with Egypt, Syria and Iraq as the Muslim heartlands around it.
- Turning points
- The fall of Jerusalem in 1099, the retaking of Edessa in 1144, Hattin and Jerusalem in 1187, and the fall of Acre in 1291.
- Legacy
- Salahuddin is remembered by Muslims and Europeans alike for fair dealing, and Syria and Egypt became one strong base for the next century.
Key moments
Six stops on the road
- 1The call to the First CrusadePope Urban II calls Western Christians to march east, and armies set out.
- 2The crusaders take JerusalemThe city falls after a siege, and crusader states are set up along the coast.
- 3Zengi retakes EdessaThe first crusader state falls to Muslim forces.
- 4Hattin and JerusalemSalahuddin wins at Hattin in July, and Jerusalem opens its gates in October.
- 5The treaty of the Third CrusadeSalahuddin and Richard of England agree a truce, with the coast left to the crusaders and Jerusalem to Salahuddin.
- 6Acre fallsThe Mamluks take the last major crusader city, and the crusader presence on the mainland ends.
The chapters
Read the era, in six parts
Six short chapters take you through the era in order.
- 01A divided Muslim world and the First Crusade1095–1099Rival rulers cannot unite, and the crusaders reach Jerusalem.Read
- 02Zengi and Nur ad-Din1127–1174Two rulers bring Syria together and begin to push the crusaders back.Read
- 03Salahuddin unites Egypt and Syria1171–1186A statesman from Egypt brings the two lands under one rule.Read
- 04Hattin and the return to Jerusalem1187A great victory in July, and Jerusalem taken back in October.Read
- 05The Third Crusade1189–1192Richard of England and Salahuddin fight to a standstill and sign a truce.Read
- 06The end of the crusader states1193–1291The Mamluks finish what Salahuddin began.Read
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A journey for this era is on the way
No Rihla journey covers this era yet.
Sources
Sources for this era
The books, lectures and maps behind this page are listed on our Sources page.
- Classical history
- Modern study
- Lecture series
- Map & atlas
How we choose sources
Classical histories first, checked against trusted modern scholarship. Approximate dates carry a “c.”
Athar’s sources