For about a decade, Amalric, the crusader king of Jerusalem, Nur al-Din, the Turkic ruler of Damascus and Aleppo, and Shawar, the vizier of Fatimid Egypt, would vie for control over one of the wealthiest regions around the Mediterranean. In the end, it was Saladin, the nephew of one of Nur al-Din’s commanders, who would emerge as the last man standing.
Contest for Egypt
is the first modern study devoted exclusively to this tripartite struggle for influence. Readers are introduced to the background and aftermath, while focus is placed on examining the central actions, motives and ambitions that shaped events between 1164 and 1174.