Salaheddin the great builder

"Sultan Al-Nasser Salaheddin Al-Ayyubi... Between Cairo and Damascus" is the first exhibition to embody the German-Egyptian cooperation to display Islamic arts.

Cairo Citadel in 1176; a portrait of Salaheddin; From far left: a bronze coin and the renovation relief of Damascus Citadel from Damascus National Museum; an arch at Prince Taz Palace in Cairo; a ceramic relief from the British Museum;

Last week the atmosphere at the beautiful historic Mameluke Palace of Prince Taz in Saliba Street, usually so quiet and serene, was rather different from normal. Journalists, photographers, archaeologists, German and Egyptian curators assembled in the palace courtyard, which was bedecked with softly lit trees, palms and plants for the occasion. At the core of the courtyard, a violinist, a flautist and an oud (Arabian lute) player wearing formal black ties played soft oriental music. In these enchanting surroundings the German ambassador to Cairo, Bernd Erbel, and secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA), Zahi Hawass, cut the red ribbon and launched "Sultan Al-Nasser Salaheddin Al-Ayyubi... Between Cairo and Damascus", an exhibition of magnificent Islamic monuments which will run for the next two months.

The exhibition, a co-production of the SCA and the Natural History Museum of Oldenburg in Germany, focuses on the Ayyubid Sultan Al-Nasser Salaheddin (1174-1193), one of the most brilliant and fascinating personalities in history.

Salaheddin fervently pursued his political aim to unite the territories of Islam and reoccupy the areas taken by the Crusaders, including Jerusalem. Yet Salaheddin's fame does not rest on his political perseverance alone, but is also due to his outstanding character.