Description

The Artuqids (or Artukids) were a Turkmen dynasty that emerged from the Seljuk military forces, founded at the end of the 11th century by Artuk ibn Eksük, a general in the service of the Seljuks.

After Artuk’s death, his sons and descendants established several semi-independent principalities in Upper Mesopotamia and Anatolia, notably in:

• Mardin,

• Hisn Kayfa (Hasankeyf),

• Diyarbakır (Amid).

 

These Artuqid states played a pivotal role between the Turkish Seljuk world and the neighboring Muslim and Crusader states. They often acted as allies or rivals depending on the political circumstances.

Najm al-Din Alpi (circa 1152–1176) succeeded his father Husam al-Din Timurtash. His reign was marked by complex relations with neighboring powers: the Zengids of Mosul and Aleppo, the Crusaders to the west, and the Seljuks of Rum to the north.