. Saladin and the fall of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. oothwords, Nur-ed-din still cherished feelings the reverseof friendly towards him, and he cast about for a saferefuge in the event of the threatened invasion. Hecontinued to strengthen the fortifications of Cairo,to increase his army, and to accumulate stores andarms ; but he was far from confident in his ability toresist an attack from Syria, and he turned his mindto preparing a place of retreat in case he were forcedto abandon Egypt. He had already conquered theprovinces on the African coast, Barka and Tripoli,as far as Kabis (Gabes), in an
. Saladin and the fall of the Kingdom of Jerusalem. oothwords, Nur-ed-din still cherished feelings the reverseof friendly towards him, and he cast about for a saferefuge in the event of the threatened invasion. Hecontinued to strengthen the fortifications of Cairo,to increase his army, and to accumulate stores andarms ; but he was far from confident in his ability toresist an attack from Syria, and he turned his mindto preparing a place of retreat in case he were forcedto abandon Egypt. He had already conquered theprovinces on the African coast, Barka and Tripoli,as far as Kabis (Gabes), in an expedition commandedby a second Karakush (not the builder of the citadelof Cairo) in 1172-3; but this strip of territorywas too open to invasion by sea and land to offer a * There is evident confusion in the accounts of the Arabic historiansof the two similar expeditions to Mont Real and Karak in 1171 and1173, and some of the incidents may have been transposed. It isprobable that Saladin never really intended to meet Nur-ed-din oneither THE GATE OF VICTORY IBAB EN-NASR), CAIRO. 1172-3] Conquest of Tripoli and the Sudan. 125 secure asylum, and the expedition was undertakenchiefly in order to keep his numerous troops occupied,and to supply them with fresh booty and same objects, and the removal of intriguing offi-cers to a safer distance, as well as the castigation ofthe still rebellious Blacks, no doubt prompted insome measure the expedition which he sent into theSudan about the beginning of 1173 ; but in this hehad a deeper design. If Egypt proved untenable,then the Sudan, or perhaps southern Arabia, mightserve as a place of retreat, whither Nur-ed-din wouldnot be likely to follow. The Sudan, however, provedanything but a desirable sanctuary. Saladins elderbrother, Turan Shah, a brave and dashing soldier,but rash, and unstable as water, successfully accom-plished his immediate object, reduced the Blacks tosubmission, and occupied Ibrim, as has been r
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