About Al-Adil II
Lived 1221 – 1248 (aged 26–27). Al-Adil II was a politician and ruler.
Al-Malik al-ʿĀdil Sayf ad-Dīn Abū Bakr ibn Nāṣir ad-Dīn Muḥammad (, better known as al-Adil II) ( 1221 – 9 February 1248) was the Ayyubid Sultan of Egypt from 1238 to 1240.
When his father al-Kamil, nephew of Saladin, died in 1238, al-Adil II followed him somewhat unprepared. When the country plunged into anarchy, his exiled half-brother, as-Salih Ayyub, seized the opportunity and deposed him. Al-Adil died in prison eight years later.
Contemporary Muslim historians wrote disapprovingly about al-Adil II's "boisterous living and loose morals". This is seemingly corroborated by an inlaid brass basin made for him by the master craftsman Ahmad al-Dhaki al-Mawsili which contains a "somewhat risqué" depiction of total nudity, the only known example from medieval Islamic metalwork.
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Important facts
Family & relationships
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Al-Adil II's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Al-Adil II?
Ayyubid Sultan of Egypt 1238–1240
When was Al-Adil II born?
Al-Adil II was born in 1221.
When did Al-Adil II die?
Al-Adil II died on 9 February 1248 in Cairo.
What was Al-Adil II's occupation?
Al-Adil II was a politician and ruler.
What nationality was Al-Adil II?
Al-Adil II's recorded nationality: Ayyubid dynasty.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Al-Adil II. https://biography.guide/al-adil-ii/
MLA: "Al-Adil II." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/al-adil-ii/.
Chicago: "Al-Adil II." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/al-adil-ii/.
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