The original Assassin's Creed is set during the Third Crusade. The game follows Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad, an Assassin operating in the Levant in 1191, while the conflict between Christian Crusaders and Muslim forces shapes the political world around him.
The Third Crusade lasted from 1189 to 1192 and was launched after Saladin captured Jerusalem in 1187. Major historical figures connected with it include Richard the Lionheart of England and Saladin, although the game's central conspiracy and assassinations are fictionalized.
The game visits cities including Masyaf, Acre, Damascus, and Jerusalem. A common mix-up is confusing the game's crusading period with the First Crusade, which occurred nearly a century earlier and culminated in the capture of Jerusalem in 1099. Assassin's Creed uses real places and historical personalities but combines them with an original secret-history narrative.