He was only eleven years old when his father died in 1174. As-Salih came under the protection of the eunuch
Gümüshtekin and was taken to
Aleppo, while Nur ad-Din's officers competed for supremacy. In
Egypt,
Saladin recognized as-Salih as his lord, although he in fact was eager to unite Egypt and
Syria under his own personal rule. In 1174,
Saladin took
Baalbek after a four-month siege and then entered
Damascus, proclaiming himself to be Ismail's true regent. In 1176,
Saladin defeated the
Zengids outside the city, married
Ismat ad-Din Khatun, and was recognized as ruler of
Syria. As-Salih died in 1181 of illness. Following his death,
Saladin took control of
Aleppo and added it to his rule under the expanding
Ayyubid Sultanate. According to crusader legend, his mother was the sister of
Bertrand of Toulouse, Razi Khatun, who had been captured by Nur ad-Din in the aftermath of the
Second Crusade; a similar legend existed concerning the mother of
Zengi, as-Salih's grandfather. ==References==