Saladin
There is a new Turkish show on TRT1 (a channel on Turkish television) called Kudüs Fatihi Selahaddin Eyyubi or Saladin: The Conqurer of Jerusalem in English. I was excited because Turkish television produces high quality shows. Saladin was filmed outside of Istanbul with really well-designed sets meant to show Damascus, Escalon, and Jerusalem in the 1100s. This show is stirring a lot of feelings for me. These are some thoughts nine episodes in. Think of this as a review.
Saladin was a great Kurdish leader. He was born in Tikrit, Iraq in 1137 and was raised in Damascus, Syria. His family were from the remnants of the Seljuk Dynasty. Saladin, an Ayyubi, would establish his own dynasty. His religious education revolved around the Quran, which included Arabic, aspects about the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, law, and more. He was also student of the Ihyā’ ‘ulūm al-Dīn (The Revival of the Sciences of the Dīn) by Imam Muhammad al-Ghazali (d. 1111) and other sacred texts. When it came to the State, his uncle Shirkuh, who was in charge of the Zengid army, taught him strategy and battle tactics. Nusr al-Din, another uncle, taught him policy and how to be just and fair. They would be a great influence on him later in life. This showed the most during the war to reclaim Jerusalem from King Baldwin and the Knights Templar. I think it was best shown in the movie Kingdom of Heaven.
