The Islamic hero of heroes, Salah al-Din al-Ayyubi (known as Saladin, r, 531–89 / 1137–93), changed the tide for the defeated Arabs and victorious Crusaders when he recaptured Jerusalem. The era of Saladin is considered to be one of the brightest moments in Arab history, when the fading Abbasid Caliphate saw a brief revival under the patronage of their Ayyubid governors.