The main story of the first Assassin's Creed game is set during the Third Crusade.
The game takes place in the Levant in 1191, when Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad is ordered to pursue targets connected to the Assassin–Templar conflict. Its principal cities include Jerusalem, Acre, and Damascus, all presented through a fictionalized historical setting.
The Third Crusade lasted from 1189 to 1192 and included campaigns led by figures such as Richard I of England and Saladin. Assassin's Creed uses real locations and leaders but adds fictional conspiracies, advanced Isu artifacts, and the modern-day Desmond Miles storyline.