Saladin is most closely associated with founding which Muslim dynasty that ruled Egypt and Syria?

• A. Fatimid Caliphate
• B. Abbasid Caliphate
• C. Ayyubid Dynasty
• D. Seljuk Empire

Answer: (C)

Saladin founded the Ayyubid Dynasty, the Sunni regime that came to rule Egypt and Syria after he consolidated power in the late 12th century. This dynasty grew from his leadership, uniting Egypt and Syria under a single family line and continuing, in various branches, after his death. The Fatimid Caliphate had ruled Egypt before him and was overthrown as he established his new dynastic rule. The Abbasid Caliphate, while historically central in the Islamic world, did not give rise to a ruling Egyptian–Syrian dynasty under Saladin. The Seljuk Empire was a major power in the region earlier, but it was a separate empire and not the dynasty founded by Saladin. So the dynasty most closely tied to Saladin and that governed both Egypt and Syria is the Ayyubid Dynasty.