Zangi

Nur ad-Din Zangi

Nur ad-Din was an enemy of the crusader presence in Syria. Almost immediately after he began his rule he attacked many castles in northern Syria. He also defeated an attempted recovery of Edessa, which had been conquered in 1144. Nur ad-Din exiled the entire Christian population of the city, in punishment for assisting with the attempt. In 1147 he signed a bilateral treaty with the governor of Damascus. Part of the agreement led to his marriage of the governor's daughter Ismat. Together they besieged the cities of Bosra and Salkhad, which had been captured by rebels. Nur ad-Din then turned towards the Principality of Antioch.