 The Arabization of the Ayyubid ruling families differed starkly from the ranks of their armies , which lacked cultural cohesion , with Turks and Kurds dominating the cavalry and nomadic Turcomans and Arabs filling the ranks of the infantry . These groups typically settled in the pastoral areas outside of the cities , the centers of cultural life , and as such they were relatively isolated from the Arabic @-@ dominant urban environment . This isolation allowed them to preserve their traditions . It is thought that Saladin spoke Turkish to his military commanders . Like their Fatimid predecessors , the Ayyubid rulers of Egypt maintained a substantial force of mamluks ( military slaves ) . By the first half of the 13th century mamluks were mostly drawn from Kipchak Turks and Circassians and there is strong evidence that these forces continued to speak Kipchak Turkish . 
