Nuruddin Abu al-Qasim Mahmud (born 1118 & died 1174) in Damascus, Syria. He was the Emir of Damascus and Aleppo and ruled from 1146-1174. He was a part of the Turkish-Zengid dynasty and which ruled the Syrian province of the Seljuk Empire. Nuruddin was the uncle of Saladin Ayyubi.
Nuruddin, the son of Imad ad-Din Zangi, was the Turkish ruler of Aleppo, and Mosul. After the assassination of his father in 1146, Nuruddin started the ongoing war against the crusaders. He tried to ally with his Muslim neighbors to strengthen the Muslim front against the crusaders.
In 1148 he won the Second Crusade, led by Louis VII of France and Conrad III of Germany. He defeated the crusaders many times in Syria & Palestine and defended Egypt from them. By 1154 Damascus was under control and all of Syria was united under Nuruddin's rule. Nuruddin died in Damascus when he was age 59.
He looked upon the crusaders as invaders but merciful to Christians who lived under his authority. Nuruddin built universities and Masjids in all the cities he ruled. These universities were very concerned with teaching the Qur'an and Hadith. He enjoyed the scholars who studied the Hadith, and his scholars even gave him a diploma in Hadith narrative.
He built free hospitals and caravanserais for travelers and pilgrims. He held court hearings several times a week so that people could seek justice for him against his generals or superiors. He is a famous man of military courage, dedication, and modesty. He loved, above all, justice.
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