After the battle, Saladin went to Alexandria, Egypt, and a battle for power broke out. After two of the three contestants died, Saladin was chosen over the last one remaining, becoming the Emir of Egypt. He was chosen as the Emir of Egypt by the caliph because he was weak, young, and easy to control, (Toler). He had actually managed to become the Emir of Egypt without purposefully spilling blood or stepping on someone to get there. After he took it he started making the city his own. He gave many of his family members high ranks in the regions and he ordered the construction of some colleges of Islam. First, he pushed Egypt's economy massively, second, he improved education, and third, he made Egypt act against the upcoming Crusaders from the West. Saladin had made Egypt a large intellectual center. After the First Crusade passed by, Saladin realized that the Crusaders were becoming more and more powerful as time went by, so he decided to move against them. He started attacking small cities, such as Darum and Eilat, while he worked on a strategy. He would conquer small cities that the Crusaders wouldn't mind much, until he had an army strong enough to take Jerusalem back.
While Saladin was off conquering cities, in Damascus, Syria, the ruler Nur ad-Din was poisoned and killed on May 15, 1174. As soon as Saladin heard this, he saw it as a great opportunity, and he took it. He went to Damascus to conquer it, but he soon realized that if he attacked Damascus, he would be seen as a hypocrite for taking his previous master's land which went against the Islamic principles he followed. He could only take Damascus if the current ruler opposed him in battle, and Saladin meant for that to happen. He started conquering cities around Damascus, to provoke Nur ad-Din's young son. When the ruler of Damascus finally sent an army against him, Saladin defeated them at a decisive battle. After that battle, finally, Syria surrendered and Saladin became their king.
