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Secondary sourcePhotograph

Tomb of Saladin, Damascus

A historic photograph of Saladin's tomb in Damascus, part of a photographic series documenting Syria.

This photograph documents the tomb where Saladin was buried in Damascus, a lasting memorial to his life.

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Sepia photograph of the Tomb of Saladin in Damascus. A large stone arch spans the left, behind a domed structure with arched windows and a striped-arch window. Ruined walls, a rubble courtyard, and a few people near a ladder stand in front. The caption reads 791 Tombeau de Saladin Damas, with the name Bonfils.
Tomb of Saladin, Damascus. Photograph by Richard Polak. Rijksmuseum, Netherlands.

About this source

What it is

This sepia photograph shows the Tomb of Saladin in Damascus, with its stone arch, domed structure, arched windows, and surrounding ruined walls and courtyard. The photograph is part of a series on Syria collected by Richard Polak and is held by the Rijksmuseum.

Why it matters

Saladin was buried in Damascus, and his tomb has long stood as a monument to his legacy as a unifying leader of the Islamic world during the Crusades. This photograph, though taken long after his death, documents the physical memorial that still marks his place in history.

Look closer

  • What does the condition of the walls and courtyard tell you about the tomb's history and care over time?
  • Why might a photographer choose to include people near a ladder in the scene?
  • What does the continued existence of this tomb suggest about how Saladin was remembered after his death?

This photograph 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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Bronze dirham coin, obverse, showing a seated figure facing forward, cross-legged, with a rounded face and hands resting on knees, flanked by a high-backed throne. Arabic inscriptions in circular margin around the edge.Artifact

Primary source

Dirham of Saladin

AH 586 (AD 1190-91)

Engraving of a mounted figure in a tunic on a pale horse, with a banner-carrying rider behind him and a scroll above reading a proclamation. Soldiers with spears and a tent camp appear on the left, and a walled town on a hill behind. Caption below in print reads that Saladin caused it to be proclaimed that he carried nothing with him to the grave but a shirt.Painting

Secondary source

Saladin Proclaims He Will Take Only a Shirt to His Grave

John Payne · 1639

Exterior of the Saladin Citadel in Cairo at golden hour: thick tan stone walls with round towers and crenellated battlements, with the domed mosque and two slender minarets rising behind on the hilltop. A modern city street with trees and lamp posts lies to the right.Artifact

Primary source

Cairo Citadel

Saladin · begun 1176

Medieval manuscript illumination of mounted knights in combat on a grassy field with red-dotted ground. Riders with lances and shields charge; one rider labeled Saladin and another labeled Guy. Red and black Latin text fills the page above.Painting

Secondary source

Saladin Seizing the True Cross from Guy of Lusignan

Matthew Paris

A rectangular panel of decorated medieval earthenware tiles with lead glaze, arranged around two large circular tiles. The left circle shows a mounted rider and a horse with a figure; the right circle shows a mounted figure and a horse, with a helmeted head in the upper section. Surrounding tiles have scrolling foliage and heraldic-style patterns in yellow and green.Artifact

Secondary source

Chertsey Tiles of Richard and Saladin

c. 1250-1260

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