ibn ibn ibn ibn etc arabic july november medieval muslim poet author knight diplomat dynasty northern syria life coincided rise medieval muslim arrival crusade establishment states nephew potential successor exiled spent rest life serving leaders damascus serving period years served court cairo travelled extensively arab lands visiting egypt syria palestine went pilgrimage politics courts served exiled damascus cairo immediately life famous poet man letters wrote poetry book staff dwellings collections original poetry modern times remembered book learning example book contains lengthy descriptions interacted occasions considered friends family killed earthquake died damascus age early life son nephew seen strategically important site gateway enter control inner syria arabs initially conquered muslim conquest levant importance exchanged hands numerous times arabs byzantines regained tribe given allocation land ruler time expanded lands building fortifications castles grandfather retook died father surrounding cities soon gave position uncle sultan sultan interested studying religion writing hunting matters politics life uncle ruled attacked numerous times assassins sect byzantines struck siege engines days byzantines attempted occasions storm natural fortifications castles walls fell child second boys raised nurse raised father later raise children encouraged father scholars spent youth hunting family partly recreation certainly warrior training battle direct experience battle neighbouring county tripoli hostile muslim neighbours established base near sultan initially male heirs possible expected succeed certainly singled brothers teaching ways war hunting favoured personal missions representative sultan son longer appreciated presence sons according sultan jealous particularly successful lion hunt entered town large lion head arms hunting trophy grandmother saw warned effect uncle despite spoke uncle occasions autobiography highlighted noble actions ultimately left temporarily father died exile permanent uncle died son inherited castle line earthquake struck area killing scores damascus egypt went taken captive battle captured nearby capture entered service travelled northern syria iraq armenia fighting enemies including outside baghdad returned south generals appointed governor returned father died april byzantine emperor besieged city emperor siege unsuccessful heavily damaged siege left service went damascus ruled din dynasty determined conquer damascus turned help sent preliminary visit jerusalem captured territory sent jerusalem conclude treaty visited new allies numerous times suspected involved plot fled damascus november cairo wealthy involved plots young ibn advisors sent negotiate alliance son negotiations failed took battles outside way egypt left brother ali killed egypt assassinated son son according lover thirteenth century historian says plot assassination relatives called supporter chased cairo followed lost possessions cairo way damascus attacked june safely reached damascus recently captured tried persuade come rest family cairo able bring damascus territory promised transport safely attacked lost entire library later years destroyed earthquake killing relatives son cousin muhammad recently succeeded sultan survivor muhammad wife remained damascus destruction homeland remained semi retirement went pilgrimage went campaign din battle year left service went north court life obscure travelled region probably wrote works invited damascus serve succeeded year friend son lived semi retirement met discuss literature warfare taught poetry damascus held poetry chief men including din died november buried damascus mount tomb lost family brothers muhammad ali cousin named muhammad succeeded uncle sultan son son died child daughter mentions children names wife wives unknown picture painted father pious religious man interested affairs world spend time reading hunting day night copy recounted battles father joined autobiography religion assumed writes ali family served egypt thought secret sympathy think evidence way believes probably acceptable tendencies thinks unlike clue dislike doctrine admired christian monks holy men disturbed muslims pious christians fond learned late life damascus works wrote book staff poetry anthology famous walking sticks dwellings damascus early wrote anthology instructions living properly life famous translated ways recently book written gift exactly memoir translated title include autobiographical details incidental main point meant book examples draw lessons discover survived manuscript possession near madrid produce arabic edition biography french translation produced improved arabic edition english translation produced arabic edition wrote middle arabic formal style classical arabic reputation known business commanding power islam says career troubled actions surely responsible large contemporary later medieval muslims best remembered poetry poetry author fourteenth century biographical dictionary calls powerful learned members family speaks great length poetry known military hunting exploits described ultimate bravery presence battle modern readers famous descriptions life syria early nature work given reputation actually written structure humorous tales meant proceed true autobiography style literature arabic necessarily factual historians quick point historical material trusted anecdotes obvious jokes entertain muslim audience wrote dangerously misleading evidence book face value editions translations works ibn premier des paris arab syrian gentleman warrior period memoirs ibn trans new_york memoirs entitled arabic text princeton cairo ibn cairo cairo alexandria hay ibn book staff autobiographical historical excerpts trans islam ibn autobiographical historical excerpts trans islam book islam trans classics secondary works trans vol paris ibn cairo bunch dirty stories women memoirs ibn eastward bound travel travellers manchester ibn warrior poet age oxford dogs hunting ibn ibn witnesses islamic medicine era medicine jerusalem ages islamic perspectives islam 2nd vol vii ibn arab syrian gentleman time sources essays presented crusade encounters ibn book learning example middle ages texts texture reflections medieval sources toronto genius ibn aspects ibn durham ibn memoirs light muslim middle arabic studies studies new translation certain passages hunting section studies open questions new light ibn account battles muslims wars influence palestine chronicle ibn period years age din trans translation
Usama ibn Munqidh