Person

Imad al-Din Zengi

c. 1085–1146 · 12th century

Imad al-Din Zengi was a Turkish atabeg who became governor of Mosul in 1127 and Aleppo in 1128, founding the Zengid dynasty. He spent years trying to take Damascus from its Burid rulers, the Begteginid dynasty, and in 1144 captured Edessa, destroying the first of the crusader states and prompting the Second Crusade. He was murdered by a slave in 1146 while besieging Qal'at Ja'bar; his son Nur al-Din continued his work.

Imad al-Din Zengi
Image: Unknown author, 1237 CE · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 6 state histories

Mazyadid dynastyCounty of EdessaBurid Emirate of DamascusZengid dynasty of MosulZengid dynastyBegteginid dynasty

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Imad al-Din Zengi. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/imad-al-din-zengi
MLA
“Imad al-Din Zengi.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/imad-al-din-zengi. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Imad al-Din Zengi.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/imad-al-din-zengi.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Imad al-Din Zengi’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/imad-al-din-zengi (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻