Historical Repercussion for the Saladin Recovery of Ayla from the Crusaders in 1170 AD \ 566AH and 1183 AD \ 579AH

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Faculty of Literature – Damanhour University

Abstract

This study aims to shed light on the crusaders' invasion of Ayla and the island of Pharaoh. Thus, it concerns the Muslims's recovery of the two places in 1170 and 1183 AD examining the political and military repercussions. The paper further uncovers the repercussions of restoring the Muslim control on the pilgrimage and trading travels between Egypt and Levant, unlocking the roads (communications) between the East and East (Maghreb) Islamic world.
From a political and military point of view, the first recovery of Ayla by Saladin (Salah al-Din) caused a new shift on the battlefield of the Muslim-Crusader encounter. Egypt practically connected with the Levant and unified through this new established bridge through Ayla, which is historically known as the Salah al-Din's military road.  At that time, Saladin found himself in confrontation with the Bedouin tribes who collaborated with the Franks. However, after controlling Ayla in 1183 and protecting the Muslim Holy Land in the Hijaz from the Crusaders' invasion, Saladin subjected Bedouins under his authority and involved some of them in his camp, making the routes much more secure.
The second repercussion was the impulse of the pilgrimage and trading movement through the re-opened wild route, despite the existence of the naval Red Sea route. However, the naval road continued to play the same during the Ayyubid period, refreshing with al-Zahir Baybars' era appearing to be the primary roadway to Hejaz and the Levant.
The third resonance was the refreshment of the socio-cultural movement that was closely associated with trade and Hajj (Islamic pilgrimage). Maghreb mujahideen emigrated to the Islamic East to fight the Crusaders, and their scholars became in close contact with the al-Masdschid al-Harām and Al-Masdschid al-Nabawi. Further, they had benefited from the privilege of residence in Egypt and the Levant, contributing to the appearance of new doctrinal influences like increasing the followers of the Mālikī madhhabs (Maliki school), especially in Palestine. The Maghreb influences further extended to impact culture, arts, and literary writings in the Islamic East

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Volume 18.1, Issue 1
Special Issue for the International Webinar "The Power of Cultural Heritage in Socio-Economic Development”, 2021
December 2021
Pages 41-66