Al-Kamil becomes Ayyubid sultan of Egypt

1218

On the death of his father al-Adil, the young sultan al-Kamil inherited Egypt at the worst possible moment, with a Crusader fleet bearing down on Damietta. His patient diplomacy and willingness to negotiate would define the era, culminating in his extraordinary deal with Frederick II over Jerusalem. He offered the Holy City to the excommunicated emperor without a drop of blood, stunning both Muslim and Christian hardliners.