Saladin takes Jerusalem

October 2, 1187

Balian of Ibelin negotiated the surrender of the Holy City after a twelve-day siege. Saladin allowed most Christians to ransom themselves and ride out. The great gold cross atop the Dome of the Rock was pulled down and dragged through the streets. Europe heard the news weeks later. Saladin's relatively merciful terms stood in stark contrast to the bloodbath the Crusaders had inflicted when they had taken the city eighty-eight years earlier.