Situated in a tranquil garden just north of the Umayyad Mosque, the Mausoleum of Saladin is the final resting place of the legendary Ayyubid Sultan who famously recaptured Jerusalem from the Crusaders. Built in 1196 by his son, Al-Adil I, the modest domed structure features classic Damascene Ayyubid architecture with its characteristic striped "ablaq" stonework. Inside the square chamber, the atmosphere is one of austere reverence, decorated with intricate Ottoman "qashani" tiles from the 17th century. The room famously contains two sarcophagi: the original 12th-century wooden masterpiece that holds his remains and a white marble one gifted by Saladin fanboy and German Emperor Wilhelm II in the late 19th century.
