al-Malik al-KÄmil
al-Malik al-KÄmil (born 1180ādied 1238) was a sultan (from 1218) of the AyyÅ«bid line, who ruled Egypt, Palestine, and Syria during the Fifth and Sixth crusades.
On his accession to the sultanate, al-KÄmil engaged the armies of the Fifth Crusade and eventually negotiated their withdrawal from Egypt in 1221. During this conflict he had an interview with St. Francis of Assisi, who wished to convert him to Christianity. In 1229 al-KÄmil ceded Jerusalem and other Palestinian towns to Emperor Frederick II, leader of the Sixth Crusade.
This article was most recently revised and updated by Encyclopaedia Britannica.
Citation Information
Article Title:
al-Malik al-KÄmil
Website Name:
Encyclopaedia Britannica
Publisher:
Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
Date Published:
01 January 2026
Access Date:
November 14, 2026