Asad ad-Dīn Shīrkūh bin Shādhī, also known as Shirkuh, or Şêrko was a military commander in service of the Zengid dynasty, and uncle of Saladin. His military and diplomatic efforts in Egypt were a key factor in establishing the Ayyubid dynasty in that country.
13th century European depiction of Adîd abû Muhammad and Shîrkûh (upper panel), with the arrival of Amalric at Constantinople (lower panel)
13th century European depiction of Adîd abû Muhammad and Shîrkûh (upper panel), with the arrival of Amalric at Constantinople (lower panel)
The Zengid or Zangid dynasty was an Atabegate of the Seljuk Empire created in 1127. It formed a Turkoman dynasty of Sunni Muslim faith, which ruled parts of the Levant and Upper Mesopotamia, and eventually seized control of Egypt in 1169. In 1174 the Zengid state extended from Tripoli to Hamadan and from Yemen to Sivas. Imad ad-Din Zengi was the first ruler of the dynasty.
Nūr-ad-Din's victory at the Battle of Inab, 1149. Illustration from the Passages d'outremer, c. 1490.
Hunting scene on the Blacas ewer, 1232, Mosul, Zengid dynasty.
Saladin began his military career in the army of Nur ad-Din, during the Zengid conquest of Egypt in 1163-1169.
Zengid soldiers armed with long swords and wearing the aqbiya turkiyya coat, tiraz armbands, boots and sharbush hat, at the time of the atabegate of Badr al-Din Lu'lu' in 1218-1219. Kitab al-Aghani, Mosul.
