SALAH AL-DIN (12th c.) & GUY DE LUSIGNAN, KING OF JERUSALEM
Salah al-Din Saladin was a renowned Muslim leader and military commander known for his pivotal role in the Crusades. Military rivalry was not incompatible, according to Saladin, with respect for his opponents and the co-existence of religions. Saladin sent his doctor to treat King Richard Lionheart’s fever after the Battle of Ashur.
The painter Jean Lievens (17th c.) was inspired by Rubens’ representation of the Wise Man Balthazar to portrait Salah ad Dine alongside with his enemy Guy de Lusignan after the battle of Hattin (1187). Saladin destroyed King Guy’s army in this battle and shortly after recovered Jerusalem. In stark contrast to the Crusades 88 years earlier, Saladin, adhering to Islam’s teachings, did not slaughter the city’s Christian inhabitants. Saladin’s noble act won him the respect of his opponents and many others worldwide.