Trademark Defences: The Fortifications of Saladin’s Ayyubid Successors

Rather than a response to any particular military threat or technological advancement, the ostentatious scale of the defences built by Saladin's brother, al-Adil, and his nephew, Saladin's son, al-Zahir Ghazi, appear to have been inspired in large part by a desire to advance their claim to be the rightful head of the Ayyubid dynasty.