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Primary sourcePaintingMedieval period

Saladin Defeats Guy of Lusignan and Takes the Holy Cross

Unknown medieval artist · Medieval period

A medieval manuscript illumination showing Saladin's victory over Guy of Lusignan and the capture of the True Cross.

This illumination depicts Saladin's victory at Hattin, one of his most decisive military triumphs.

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Medieval manuscript painting of a battle on a hillside before a distant castle. Armored knights fight, one in gold armor is central, and a large wooden cross is tilted and falling. Fallen men and helmets lie in the foreground. Red-lettered French text is below.
The defeat of Guy of Lusignan by Saladin and the loss of the Cross. Medieval manuscript illumination, British Library.

About this source

What it is

This is a painted illustration from a medieval manuscript showing a battle scene: armored knights fighting on a hillside near a castle, with a large wooden cross shown tilted and falling, and fallen soldiers in the foreground. French text appears below the image.

Why it matters

The image depicts one of the most famous moments of the Crusades, Saladin's defeat of King Guy of Lusignan and the loss of the Christian relic known as the True Cross. Made not long after the events by artists working from a Christian viewpoint, it shows how Europeans remembered and retold this turning point in the wars for the Holy Land.

Look closer

  • Who do you think made this image, and whose side were they likely on?
  • What details show that this is a defeat for one side?
  • What might be left out of a battle scene made to tell a story rather than record facts?

This painting is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Saladin on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Secondary source

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Secondary source

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