c. 1085–1146 · Atabeg of Mosul and Aleppo
Imad al-Din Zengi
Other names · Zengi · Imad al-Din Zangi
Zengid ruler who took Edessa in 1144, destroying the centre of the first crusader state.
BIOGRAPHICAL DOSSIER
Life and historical role
Life and political setting
Zengi was a son of Aq Sunqur, a commander in Seljuk service. He gained control of Mosul in 1127 and Aleppo in 1128, creating a strong military power across northern Iraq and Syria. His rule involved competition not only with the Frankish states but also with Damascus, Artuqid rulers and other Muslim powers.
Role in the Crusades
The most durable result of his campaigns against the Frankish states was the siege and capture of Edessa in 1144. Zengi exploited the absence of Count Joscelin II and brought down part of the fortifications by mining. The fall of the city ended the first Crusader state and helped trigger the call for the Second Crusade in western Europe.
Biographical information is linked to the sources shown on the page and to the connected event records. Disputed dates are given as approximate, gaps are not filled by conjecture, and later literary or visual depictions are not treated as contemporary portraits.