The New Student's Reference Work/Nur-ed-Din Mahmud

Nur-ed-Din′ Mahmud, emir and sultan of Syria, was born at Damascus in 1116 A. D. He is noted for his defeat of the first and second crusades of the Christians, the conquering of Tripolis, Antioch and Damascus, and the taking of all the Christian strongholds in Syria in 1151.  In 1168 he was made sultan of Syria and Egypt, and while preparing to invade Egypt, died at Damascus in May, 1173.  He was the bitterest enemy of Christianity, but was a patron of science, art and literature and a good administrator of justice.