Salaheddin the great builder

SALAHEDDIN was born in Tikrit in Iraq and joined the military at the age of 15, eventually establishing himself as a prominent military leader and devout Muslim. At the height of his power his Ayyubid Dynasty ruled Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Hejaz and Yemen. His achievements included the recapture of Jerusalem from the Knights Templar in 1187; the restoration of Sunni Islam in Egypt; and the foundation of schools and mosques. By the time he died in 1193 he had gained a reputation throughout Europe as a great warrior and chivalrous adversary, and was revered in the Muslim world.

The Castle of Damascus is built at the same level as the city ground. The castle architects made up for its being deprived of natural elevation by providing it with alternative features not found in other castles that are fortified with heights. These features include its huge and fortified construction, the height of the towers, and the way they were built.

Salaheddin's tomb is located next to the northwestern corner of the Great Umayyad Mosque in Damascus. Although Salaheddin died in 1193, he was initially interred at the Damascus Citadel until his son Al-Malik Al-Afdal Nureddin Ali, ruler of Damascus, completed the construction of the mausoleum. Salaheddin's body was transferred to its final resting place in 1195. Soon afterwards, Salaheddin's other son, Al-Malik Al-Aziz Uthman II, ruler of Egypt, decided to construct a madrasa attached to his father's tomb. Thus it is also known as Al-Madrasa Al-Aziziya. The events surrounding the death and burial of Salaheddin are clearly recorded in the historical sources, based on the eyewitness account of Imadeddin Al-Isfahani, who was Saladin's confidant and administrative genius.