Lord of Jerusalem, Lord | Atlas of 1200

The holy city has been Muslim since 2 October 1187.

Saladin rebuilt and strengthened its walls in 1191-1192, turned the church of St Anne into a law college (the Salahiyya madrasa), the patriarch's palace into a Sufi convent and part of the Hospitallers' quarter into a hospital, and restored the Dome of the Rock and al-Aqsa to Islam; al-Afdal endowed a quarter for North African (Maghribi) Muslims by the Western Wall. Under the treaty of 1192 Frankish pilgrims may visit the Holy Sepulchre unarmed, and Saladin allowed two Latin priests and two deacons each at the Sepulchre, Bethlehem and Nazareth. Jews, forbidden the city under the Franks, have been allowed back.

The governor holds the citadel (the Tower of David) and the district down to Hebron and Jericho. In 1197 al-Aziz of Egypt appointed its governor, Sarim al-Din Qutlugh; whether he still governs in January 1200, and for whom, is not recorded. Jerusalem is drawn as contested: in law it belongs to al-Mansur's regency in Cairo, in fact al-Adil's army is about to pass by on its way to Egypt.

From 1204 at the latest al-Mu'azzam Isa makes it his chief residence.

Who he is

Name: Sarim al-Din Qutlugh (so read here; the OCR of the French translation gives 'Sarem ed-Din Rotlogh'), a former mamluk of Izz al-Din Farrukhshah son of Shahanshah. Whether he still holds Jerusalem on 1 January 1200 is not pinned.
Title: Lord (sahib) or governor (wali) of Jerusalem
Since: 593 AH (November 1196 to November 1197): Sunqur al-Kabir, lord of Jerusalem, who had joined al-Adil against the Franks at Tell al-Ajjul that year, died, and al-Aziz entrusted the government of Jerusalem to Qutlugh (Abu'l-Fida).
Born: not pinned
Family: not pinned; a mamluk of Farrukhshah, the father of Bahramshah of Baalbek.
Confidence: medium

Abu'l-Fida p. 156 (593 AH). No later dated reference found. The Banias article names a Sarim al-Din Khutluba who later succeeds Jaharkas at Banyas; whether he is the same man is not pinned.

Overlord

The sultan of Egypt: al-Aziz appointed the governor in 1197, so Jerusalem then belonged to the Egyptian share of Saladin's lands (probably with the rest of the old province of Filastin since al-Afdal's cessions of 1194-1196; not pinned). Since al-Aziz's death on 29 November 1198 that means the boy al-Mansur under al-Afdal's regency. On 1 January 1200 al-Adil, master of Syria after the siege, is about to march through Palestine to Egypt: the city is claimed by both camps.

What it holds

Jerusalem with its citadel and walls (Jerusalem).
Bethlehem and the villages of the Judean hills; Jericho and the Jordan valley below it.
Hebron (al-Khalil) and the southern hills (Hebron): whether Hebron answered to Jerusalem's governor that winter is not pinned.

How it was acquired

Conquered by Saladin in 1187; governors appointed by the Ayyubid prince who held Palestine.

Allies and rivals

Neighbour of Maymun al-Qasri of Nablus (Maymun al-Qasri). The Franks of Acre want it back: it is the crusade's goal.

How things stand that morning

Held for the Ayyubids by a governor appointed from Cairo in 1197 (whether the same man is not pinned); claimed by both the Cairo regency and al-Adil; the truce of 1198 keeps the Franks away; pilgrims come under safe-conduct.

Wealth

Pilgrims (Muslim, Christian and Jewish), the endowments (waqf) of the new colleges and convents, the villages and olive groves of the hills; no figures.

Military

Saladin's walls and the citadel; a small garrison (no figure).

Threats

The coming crusade; the Franks' constant aim of recovering the city.
Being caught between al-Adil and al-Afdal.

What the year holds

What happened next, if nothing in play changes it. Each event carries what it depends on and what would stop it.

1200 (after February)Jerusalem falls under al-Adil's settlement of the Ayyubid lands; by 1204 it is al-Mu'azzam's chief residence and he repairs the walls in 1202, 1203, 1212 and 1213-1214 (Al-Mu'azzam article).Depends on: Al-Adil's victory in Egypt. Stopped by: A new war among the princes.

Where the sources disagree

The assignment treats Jerusalem as al-Adil's (realm damascus). Abu'l-Fida shows al-Aziz of Egypt appointing its governor in 1197, so on 1 January 1200 it belongs in law to the Egyptian regency; it is drawn as contested. If the governor declared for al-Adil during 1199 (not recorded), damascus would be right; after 9 February 1200 the question is moot.

Evidence: The city's state is well known; its governor is named for 1197 (Abu'l-Fida), not for 1199-1200.

On the map: District drawn round the hill towns; the line with Nablus in the north and with the coastal plain in the west is a guess.

Sources and studies

Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.