#Saladin (1137 – March 1193), was the first sultan of Egypt and Syria and the founder of the Ayyubid dynasty. A Sunni Muslim of Kurdish origin, Saladin led the Muslim military campaign against the Crusader states in the Levant. He has become a prominent figure in Muslim, Arab, Turkish and Kurdish culture, and is often described as the most famous Kurd in history.

Late in the 11th century, Byzantine Emperor Alexius Comnenus, who was threatened by the Seljuk Turks, appealed to the West European states, for aid. During the same period, Christians in Jerusalem were increasingly persecuted by the city’s Islamic rulers. In answer to Alexius request, Pope Urban II publicly call for a crusade in 1095 to free the holy lands. The response by Western Europeans was immediate and overwhelming. In 1097, the main crusading force of Christian knights crossed into Asia Minor. On 7 June 1099, the Crusader army reached Jerusalem. The siege started on 13 July and a period of a day they breached the walls. The crusader army took control of Jerusalem for 88 years and created the Kingdom of Jerusalem.

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Saladin

During the period from 1174 until 1187 Saladin fought other #Muslims and eventually brought Aleppo, Damascus, Mosul, and other cities of the Levant under his control. During this period he made a truce with the Kingdom of Jerusalem to free his forces for these campaigns.

The Crusaders violated this arrangement to Saladin’s annoyance which built up to the conflict between Saladin and the Crusaders.

After conquering the Muslim cities, Saladin started to capture the crusader states. On 4 July 1187, after capturing most of the Crusader cities, Saladin faced the combined forces of the #Crusaders at the Battle of Hattin.

The determined army of Saladin inflicted a major disaster when he mostly annihilated the Crusader force.

The defense of The Kingdom of Jerusalem was severely weakened. By mid-September, Saladin had taken the remainder of the Crusader cities. The survivors and other refugees fled to Tyre, the only city able to hold out against Saladin.

Saladin reached Jerusalem by mid-September 1187. Balian of Ibelin arrived at his camp from Tyre and asked for safe passage to fetch his family. It was granted by Saladin, but with the arrangement that he may not take up arms. Balian agreed and entered Jerusalem. He found the situation in dire. The city was filled with refugees fleeing Saladin's conquests, with more arriving daily. The political and religious leaders of Jerusalem convinced him to stay and fight against Saladin.

Saladin who preferred to take Jerusalem without bloodshed and offered generous terms for surrender, but was rejected by Balian. The siege of Jerusalem started on 20 September 1187.

The first six days, skirmishes were fought with little result. Saladin's forces suffered heavy casualties after each assault, while the Crusaders lost only a few men. On September 26, Saladin moved his camp to a different part of the city, on the Mount of Olives where there was no major gate from which the crusaders could counter-attack. The walls were constantly pounded by the siege engines, catapults, mangonels, petraries, Greek fire, crossbows, and arrows.

A portion of the wall was mined, and it collapsed on September 29. The Crusaders were unable to push Saladin's troops back from the breach, but at the same time, the Muslims could not gain entrance to the city.

At the end of September, Balian rode out with an envoy to meet with Saladin, offering the surrender that he initially refused. Saladin told Balian that he had sworn to take the city by force, and would only accept an unconditional surrender.

The Crusaders were prepared to surrender unconditionally and paid a ransom of 30,000 dinars for 7000 persons to leave Jerusalem.

The fall of Jerusalem prompted the Third Crusade (1189–1192) under the leadership of Richard the Lionheart, King of England. Richard’s and Saladin’s armies faced each other in different battles without bettering the other. A mutual respect grew between the two leaders. At Arsuf, when Richard lost his horse, Saladin sent him two replacements. However, the two men never met face to face and communication was either written or by messenger.

As leaders of their respective factions, the two men came to an agreement in the Treaty of Ramla in 1192, whereby Jerusalem would remain in Muslim hands but would be open to Christian pilgrimages.

Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saladin
http://www.onthisday.com/people/saladin
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/jerusalem-captured-in-first-crusade
http://www.history.com/topics/saladin
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Jerusalem_(1187)#Aftermath