Islam
Nur ad-Din
Zengi was succeeded by his second son, Nuradin. The eldest son, Saif ad-Din, ruled in Mosul, and the Kurdish lords Shirkuh and his brother Ayub held Aleppo. Nuradin would continue his father's use of the jihad against the Christians and enjoyed even greater successes. He was famous for his wisdom and piety and won the respect of the whole Muslim world.
On learning of Zengi's death, Unur of Damascus immediately occupied Baalbeck and made Hama and Homs his vassals. This created a state powerful enough to be worrisome to the Christians as well as to Nuradin. At the same time, and for much the same reasons, Raymond of Antioch and Joscelin of Edessa advanced separately toward Edessa. Joscelin actually broke into the city, but could not take the citadel. Nuradin was moving against Raymond, but when he learned of the city's peril, he returned and nearly trapped Joscelin. The Count escaped on November 2 and Nuradin pursued him. He caught the Franj the next day and defeated them, wounding Joscelin.
Because the Armenians of Edessa had conspired with Joscelin to betray the city, Nuradin now returned and massacred the entire male Christian population. The women and children were sold into slavery. He so ruined Edessa that it has never recovered to this day.
In 1148, Raymond of Antioch was able to surprise Nuradin at Famuja, between Antioch and Marash, forcing him to retreat. But he returned the following year and turned the tables. He caught Raymond, with his ally, the Assassin leader Abi ibn Wafa, at the Fountain of Murad. He surrounded the Franj during the night. When they tried to fight their way out in the morning, Nuradin crushed them. Abi was killed. Raymond was killed by Shirkuh personally. Nuradin sent the Prince's skull in a silver case to the Caliph of Baghdad. The victory at Murad in 1149 opened most of Antiochene territory to Nuradin. He had taken a vow before his men that he would bath in the waters of the Mediterranean; the time was right to fulfill that vow.