Egypt & the NileAfricaAsiaMajor empire

Ayyubid Sultanate

1171 – 1260 CE · about 89 years

The Ayyubid dynasty was founded by Salah al-Din (Saladin), who ended Fatimid rule in Egypt and restored Sunni allegiance to the Abbasid caliph. Saladin recaptured Jerusalem from the Crusaders in 1187. The dynasty was overthrown in Egypt by its own Mamluk soldiers.

Key facts

Dates	1171 – 1260 CE
Region	Egypt & the Nile
Continent	Africa, Asia
Capitals	Cairo, Damascus
Founder	Saladin
Religion(s)	Sunni Islam
Peak extent	≈ 1.7 million km² (c. 1200 CE) – source

Before & after

Preceded by

Fatimid Caliphate Great Seljuk Empire Zengid dynasty Kingdom of Jerusalem

Followed by

Mamluk Sultanate Rasulid dynasty

In the Islamic timeline

Abbasid Caliphate — The Ayyubids ruled in the name of the Abbasid caliph.
Fatimid Caliphate (Ismaili) — Saladin abolished the Fatimid caliphate in 1171.

Sources

Wikipedia – Ayyubid dynasty
Wikipedia – List of largest empires

Dates follow widely used reference works; many ancient dates are approximate or debated. Neutral summary for general reference.