Ayyub ibn Shadi

Timeline

1. c. 1080–1131Divan · ArmeniaAyyub was born into a Kurdish noble family in present-day Armenia, trained in arms from youth, and later joined the Zengid cause with his brother Shirkuh, gradually building a military reputation in Syria and laying the foundation for his family's rise.
2. c. 1131–1164Baalbek · LebanonAyyub first served Imad al-Din Zengi, founder of the Zengid dynasty, then transferred to Nur al-Din Mahmud, serving as garrison commander and civil-military governor of Baalbek. He governed well, turning Baalbek into an important military stronghold while paving the way for his son Saladin's career, enabling him to gain a foothold in Syria's political core.
3. 1164–1173Cairo · EgyptAfter Saladin became vizier of Egypt, Ayyub also moved to Cairo and enjoyed an honored old age. He witnessed his son's historic end of the Fatimid dynasty and founding of the Ayyubid dynasty, dying in Cairo in 1173; his descendants would rule Egypt and Syria for nearly a century.