Saladin, born in Tikrit in 1137, rose to prominence as the founder of the Ayyubid dynasty. After becoming vizier in Egypt, he replaced the Fatimid Caliphate and established a Sunni-led state centred in Cairo, which remained his capital.

Britannica notes that by the late 12th century, Saladin controlled Egypt, Syria, Yemen, the Hejaz, and parts of North Africa, creating the most unified political entity the region had seen in generations.

From Cairo , the heart of his administration, the Ayyubid state extended north toward Damascus , Jerusalem , and Aleppo , and eastward into Yemen and the Hejaz. These regions were not just territories; they were economic and spiritual centres that gave Saladin both strength and legitimacy.

After taking control of Egypt , Saladin deliberately moved to claim Damascus because it was seen as the symbolic seat of Syrian power.

Of course, Saladin is best known internationally for recapturing Jerusalem in 1187 after the Battle of Hattin. That single event reshaped the Crusades and positioned him, in both Muslim and Western sources, as a figure of military brilliance and political restraint.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art highlights that even chroniclers on the opposing side described him as generous, diplomatic and unusually humane for a wartime leader.

Many regions central to Saladin’s empire, Syria, Yemen, Palestine, and Egypt, remain at the core of today’s global discussions about conflict, humanitarian crises and foreign intervention.