Saladin Mausoleum and Medieval History
Follow the footsteps of Saladin in Damascus, where the great Muslim warrior who recaptured Jerusalem from the Crusaders is buried beside the Umayyad Mosque, and explore the medieval Islamic monuments of the city he made his capital.
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Saladin Mausoleum
Visit the mausoleum of Saladin adjacent to the Umayyad Mosque, the tomb of the great Ayyubid sultan who defeated the Crusaders at Hattin in 1187 and recaptured Jerusalem, his tomb modest by the standards of the magnificent ruler he was.
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Nur al-Din Complex
See the complex of Nur al-Din, the Zengid ruler who unified Syria against the Crusaders, the madrasa and hospital he founded in Damascus representing the medieval Islamic welfare state that built educational and medical institutions throughout the city.
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Madrasa al-Adiliyya
Visit the Madrasa al-Adiliyya, the Ayyubid religious school that educated Damascus Islamic scholars in the 13th century, its decorated portal and courtyard representing the finest Ayyubid architecture in Syria.
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Citadel of Damascus
See the Citadel of Damascus where Saladin and the Ayyubid sultans lived and governed, the massive fortress that controlled the ancient city and whose towers still define the northwestern corner of the old city walls.
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Islamic Museum
Visit the National Museum of Damascus where the collections of Islamic art and archaeology include the extraordinary Qasr al-Hayr frescoes, the carved wooden panels from Ayyubid palaces, and the treasures of a civilization that flowered in medieval Syria.
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Crusader Legacy
Understand the Crusader period in Syrian history through the churches, fortifications, and decorative arts that show the complex interaction of Christian and Muslim cultures during the two centuries of Crusader presence in the Levant.