“Saladin and the Crusaders” presents 130 artifacts from Middle Eastern and European collections. Sultan Saladin and his opponent King Richard the Lionheart are the focus of attention in this exhibition, which moves through several museums in Germany until its conclusion in November 2006. The exhibition features the view of the events in the Crusader States, between 1099 and 1291, from both perspectives.
The various exhibits comprise jewelry, weapons, coins, astronomical instruments, etc., and are supplemented by models, paintings and photographs. At the website, www.archlsa.de/saladin/en_start.htm, it is possible to view many of the artifacts, accompanied by descriptive narratives.
The 600-page catalog contains plenty of colored illustrations, information on exhibits, and essays on interesting topics by renowned experts. Published by Philipp von Zabern it is available for 28 euros.
However, the display is not a common touring exhibition, since each of the three museums it visits, focuses on different aspects. While the State Museum for Nature and Mankind, Oldenburg, emphasizes the role of the Near East as a mediator of knowledge, the Reiss-Engelhorn Museums, Mannheim, stress the artistic transfer and historical aspects. Focusing on regional history, the State Museum for Prehistory, Halle, demonstrates the various consequences of the Crusades to Central Germany, an aspect largely ignored so far.
Saladin, the Western name for the ruler Salah Ad-Din ibn Ayyub, was the great Muslim general who confronted the Crusaders in the Near East. Saladin was recognized, even by his opponents, for his knightly courtesy, piety and justice. His administration improved communications, leaving behind a network of roads and canals, and built many citadels.
Saladin conquered Damascus (1174) and took Jerusalem in 1187, touching off the Third Crusade. The Christian army, headed by Philip II of France and Richard the Lionheart of England retook Acre in 1191, but Saladin was a brilliant general and the Third Crusade, although inflicting some defeats, achieved little. In 1192 Saladin and Richard the Lionheart made peace.
The encounter of the Crusaders’ culture with the Oriental culture is not only of great importance to European history, but of current interest, too, as recent political events demonstrate. The exhibition shows that this encounter also included — besides armed conflicts — peaceful relations and cultural exchange.