Nur al-Din's Expedition to Egypt and the Struggle for Cairo (1167)

Timeline

1. 1167Damascus · SyriaAfter Fatimid vizier Shawar again appealed to the Crusaders for aid, Nur al-Din ordered his general Shirkuh to lead a Syrian army into Egypt for the third time, with his nephew Saladin also joining the campaign, aiming to break the Crusader-Fatimid alliance and extend the southern limit of Zengid power.
2. 1167Baybai · EgyptShirkuh's forces defeated a coalition of Shawar, King Amalric I of Jerusalem, and Fatimid troops at Baybai. The battle shattered the Crusaders' attempt to control Egypt directly, giving the Zengid-Ayyubid camp a decisive military advantage.
3. 1167Cairo · EgyptPostwar negotiations followed: Shawar was restored as vizier and paid a huge ransom to the Crusaders in exchange for their garrison; Shirkuh withdrew but left Saladin stationed in Cairo. Though the 1167 expedition did not conquer Egypt in one stroke, it wedged Ayyubid power into the Fatimid heartland, paving the way for full control of Egypt two years later.