Who recaptured Jerusalem from the crusaders in 1187?

The story behind the answer

After uniting Egypt and Syria under the Ayyubid dynasty, Saladin crushed the crusader armies at the Battle of Hattin in July 1187, opening the road to Jerusalem. In October he secured the city’s surrender and, unlike the crusaders in 1099, allowed ransomed departures and protected holy sites—actions that bolstered his reputation for both piety and pragmatism.

His victory sparked the Third Crusade, bringing European monarchs to the Levant. Richard the Lionheart won battles on the coast but failed to retake Jerusalem. Nur ad-Din, Saladin’s powerful predecessor, had died in 1174, and Al-Adil was Saladin’s brother who later ruled but did not capture the city. The 1187 conquest reshaped Near Eastern politics for decades.