The castle of Saladin

The castle was built by the crusaders in the an-Nusayriyah mts 24kms east of Lattakia on Syria's Mediterranean coast. In 1188, the castle fell to Saladin, the first major casualty of the Crusader's fundamental problem, the lack of sufficient manpower to protect their far flung positions.

Saladin was a great Muslim leader. His real name was Salah al-Din Yusuf. He united and lead the Muslim world and in 1187, he recaptured Jerusalem for the Muslims after defeating the King of Jerusalem at the Battle of Hattin near the Lake of Galilee. When his soldiers entered the city of Jerusalem, they were not allowed to kill civilians, rob people or damage the city. The more successful Saladin was, the more he was seen by the Muslims as being their natural leader.
Saladin's noble act won him the respect of his opponents and many more people throughout the world. King Richard I of England, better known as Richard the Lion Heart, who led the Third Crusade in 1189 to recover the Holy City, met Saladin in a conflict that was to be celebrated.
Although the Crusaders failed in their purpose, Richard the Lion Heart gained Saladin's lifelong respect as a worthy opponent. Saladin's generosity and sense of honour in negotiating the peace treaty that ended the Crusade won him the lasting admiration and gratitude of the Christian world.