Salah ad-Din Yusuf ibn Ayyub (1138-1193) was a Kurdish Muslim, who became the first Sultan of Egypt and Syria, and founded the Ayyubid dynasty. At the height of his power, his sultanate included Egypt, Syria, Mesopotamia, Hejaz, Yemen, and parts of North Africa. Under his leadership, his forces defeated the Crusaders at the Battle of Hattin, leading the way to his recapturing of Palestine, which had been seized from the Fatimid Egyptians by the Crusaders 88 years earlier. Though the Crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem would continue to exist for a period, its defeat at Hattin marked a turning point in its conflict with the Muslims and Arabs. Saladin was a strict adherent of Sunni Islam. His noble and chivalrous behavior was noted by Christian chroniclers and despite being the nemesis of the Crusaders, he won the respect of many of them. Rather than becoming a hated figure in Europe, he became a celebrated example of the principles of chivalry. Saladin died of a fever in 1193. In Saladin's possession at the time of his death were 1 piece of gold and 47 pieces of silver. He had given away his great wealth to his poor subjects and there was none left to pay for his funeral.
