After Nur ad-Din's death, Saladin marched from Egypt to Damascus. He was welcomed by the inhabitants who preferred his leadership over the chaos of Nur ad-Din's minor heir, marking the start of his Syrian empire.

Al-Kamil was often called the King of the Nile because of his mastery over Egypt's defense using the river's geography and his diplomatic skill in maintaining the prosperous Egyptian state.

The Battle of Hattin took place on a plain near the double-peaked hill known as the Horns of Hattin. The location was strategically chosen by Saladin to trap the thirsty Crusader army away from the water of the Sea of Galilee.

Al-Nasir Yusuf ruled both Aleppo and Damascus. He attempted to build a coalition against the Mongols but failed. He was eventually captured and executed by the Mongols in 1260.

Hisn Kayfa (modern Hasankeyf in Turkey) was the seat of a minor Ayyubid branch that survived as local lords for centuries, eventually becoming vassals of the Aq Qoyunlu and then the Ottomans.

Sultan Al-Kamil built the massive dome over the tomb of Imam al-Shafi'i in 1211. This site remains one of the most important and architecturally significant religious monuments in Cairo.

The True Cross, the most sacred relic of the Crusaders, was captured at Hattin. Saladin held it as a prize, and despite numerous attempts by the Crusaders to ransom it back, it eventually disappeared from historical records.

Baha ad-Din Qaraqush was a Greek eunuch who became a loyal servant of the Ayyubids. He was responsible for overseeing the construction of the Cairo Citadel and the city walls of Cairo and Acre.

Al-Zahir Ghazi fortified the citadel with a massive glacis (sloping wall), a deep moat, and a monumental gatehouse. His work made the citadel one of the most impregnable fortresses of the era.

A failure of the Nile flood led to a horrific famine and plague during the early reign of Al-Adil I. Chroniclers like Abd al-Latif al-Baghdadi recorded the extreme suffering and social collapse that occurred during these two years.