| Shirkuh (Sherko) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 13th century European depiction of Adîd abû Muhammad and Shîrkûh (upper panel), with the arrival of Amalric at Constantinople (lower panel) | |||||
| Vizier of the Fatimid Caliphate | |||||
| Reign | 18 January – 23 March 1169 | ||||
| Predecessor | Shawar | ||||
| Successor | Saladin (Vizier) | ||||
| Born | Dvin, Armenia | ||||
| |||||
| Father | Shadhi Bin Marwan (Kurdish Chief) | ||||
| Religion | Sunni Islam | ||||
Asad ad-Dīn Shīrkūh bin Shādhī (Kurdish: ئەسەدەدین شێرکۆ, romanized: Esed El-Dîn Şêrko; Arabic: أسد الدين شيركوه بن شاذي), also known as Shirkuh, or Şêrko (meaning "lion of the mountains" in Kurdish) (died 22 February 1169) was a Kurdish Mercenary commander[1][2] in service of the Zengid dynasty, then the Fatimid Caliphate and uncle of Saladin. His military and diplomatic efforts in Egypt were a key factor in establishing the Ayyubid dynasty in that country.
- ^ Morton, Nicholas (2020). The Crusader States and Their Neighbours: A Military History, 1099-1187. Oxford University Press. p. 163. ISBN 978-0-19-882454-1.
- ^ Tyerman, Christopher (2007). God's War: A New History of the Crusades. Penguin UK. ISBN 978-0-14-190431-3.