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Muslim
leaders, one after the other, aimed at putting an end to the
Crusades in the Islamic World. `Imad Ad-Din Zinki was the first one
who crushed the Crusaders, succeeded by his son Nurudeen. Then came
the Muslim hero Saladin who restored Jerusalem and the Al-Aqsa
Mosque.
When
Sultan Pipers came to power in Egypt (1260-1277 AC), he followed
the same track of Saladin and conquered Arsuf, Safar, Yafo,
Ash-Shoqaif Fort, Tripoli, the Karak Fort, Hims, Hama and Famah,
until he drew a siege around Antioch.
Antioch
was the strongest emirate in the Levant at that time; it received
support from Europe. In addition, it held a treaty with the Tartars
against Muslims. So Sultan Pipers invaded it at the beginning of
Ramadan, and managed to conquer it by Allah’s Grace on Saturday,
14th of Ramadan. Muslims took precious booties in that battle, and
Pipers killed Al-Ighris, its emir, who was an arch enemy to
Muslims.
After
the conquest of Antioch, the rest crusade pockets of resistance
realized their critical situation and hastened to hold a treaty
with Sultan Pipers.
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