| Al-Aziz Uthman العزيز عثمان | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Al-Malik Al-Aziz | |||||
 | |||||
| Sultan of Egypt | |||||
| Reign | 4 March 1193 – 29 November 1198 | ||||
| Predecessor | Saladin | ||||
| Successor | Al-Mansur Nasir al-Din Muhammad | ||||
| Born | 1171 | ||||
| Died | 29 November 1198 (aged 27) Egypt | ||||
| Consort | Surur | ||||
| Issue | Al-Mansur Nasir al-Din Muhammad | ||||
| |||||
| Dynasty | Ayyubid | ||||
| Father | Saladin | ||||
| Mother | Shamsah | ||||
| Religion | Sunni Islam | ||||
Al-Malik Al-Aziz Uthman ibn Salah Ad-Din Yusuf (Arabic:العزيز عثمان بن صلاح الدين يوسف; 1171 – 29 November 1198) was the secondAyyubidSultan of Egypt. He was the second son ofSaladin.[1]
Before his death, Saladin had divided his dominions amongst his kin:Al-Afdal receivedPalestine andSyria, al-Aziz was made ruler ofEgypt,Al-Zahir received Aleppo,Al-Adil I receivedKarak andShawbak, andTuran-Shah retainedYemen. Conflict soon broke out between them with Al-Adil becoming the undisputed ruler of Syria, Upper Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Yemen.[2]
Despite Al-Aziz having specifically inherited suzerainty over the whole Ayyubid empire, soon he had to face revolts by theZengid emirs ofMosul and by theArtuqids in southern Iraq. When Al-Afdal expelled all the ministers left by his father to support him, they came to Egypt, asking Al-Aziz to reconquer Syria. In 1194, Al-Aziz besiegedDamascus. Al-Afdal asked for help from Saladin's brother, Al-Adil I, who met Al-Aziz and managed to bring about a reconciliation.
In 1195, Al-Aziz again attacked Syria, but Al-Afdal was able to persuade some of the Emirs of Al-Aziz's army to desert. Later Al-Adil allied with al-Aziz against Al-Afdal, who was besieged and captured in Damascus on 3 July 1196. Al-Afdal was exiled toSalkhad, while Al-Aziz was proclaimed supreme overlord of the Ayyubid Empire. However, most of the effective power was in the hands of Al-Adil I, who installed himself in Damascus.
During his reign, Al-Aziz tried to demolish theGreat Pyramids of Giza, Egypt, but had to give up because the task was too big. He succeeded in damagingMenkaure's Pyramid.[3][4] Al-Aziz also played an important role in the history of the building enterprises and construction atBanias andSubaybah.[5]He died in a hunting accident in late 1198. He was interred in the tomb of his elder brother Al-Mu'azzam.[6]
Al-Aziz Uthman Born: 1171 Died: 29 November 1198 | ||
| Regnal titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Sultan of Egypt 1193 – 29 November 1198 | Succeeded by |