Ayyubid Dynasty

The Ayyubids, founded by Salah ad-Din / Saladin, took Jerusalem back from the Crusaders in 1187 after the Battle of Hattin. This restored Muslim rule over Jerusalem after nearly a century of Crusader control. Saladin allowed some Jews to return to Jerusalem, and Jewish life slowly reappeared there. From a Jewish perspective, this period is important because it reopened Jewish access to the city after the Crusader conquest had been devastating for Jewish communities.