Death of Saladin

Background

After the end of the Third Crusade, Saladin visited Jerusalem, set its administration in order and returned to Damascus. Years of campaigning had worn him down. This vast realm uniting Egypt and Syria rested less on a centralised state than on regional governments distributed among family members.

His death

Saladin fell ill at the end of February 1193 after welcoming the pilgrim caravan arriving in Damascus. After a few days' illness he died on 4 March 1193, aged about fifty-five. According to the sources he did not leave even enough money to pay for his burial, having generously given away his wealth and spent it on his army.

He was buried beside the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus; his tomb still stands there today.

Outcome and significance

After his death his eldest son al-Afdal took Damascus, al-Aziz Egypt and al-Zahir Ghazi Aleppo, while his brother al-Adil governed the Jazira and Kerak. Rivalry among the brothers soon turned to war. Skilfully exploiting these quarrels, al-Adil seized Egypt and Damascus around 1200 and became head of the Ayyubid family.

This division within the Ayyubid family gave the Franks room for diplomatic manoeuvre and made long periods of truce between the two sides possible for much of the thirteenth century.

Sources and debates

Baha al-Din ibn Shaddad and Imad al-Din al-Isfahani, from Saladin's close circle, describe his last days and death in detail and with praise. Ibn al-Athir offers a more critical assessment. In later centuries Saladin's legacy turned him into an idealised figure in both Muslim and European literature.