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Hamdanid Emirate of Aleppo

Type Event Region Syria Time 905–969

In the 10th century the Hamdanids established a Shia Arab emirate centered on Aleppo in northern Syria, reaching its height under Sayf al-Dawla.

Timeline

  1. 905–945Northern Mesopotamia · IraqThe family of Hamdan ibn Hamdun rose from the upper Tigris, gradually controlling Mosul and other areas, then expanded into Syria amid the power vacuum between the Abbasids and Buyids, laying the foundation for the Aleppo regime.
  2. 945–967Aleppo · SyriaDuring Sayf al-Dawla's reign the capital was fixed at Aleppo, repeatedly clashing with the Byzantines along the Antioch-Tarsus line while vigorously sponsoring Arabic poetry; poets such as al-Mutanabbi gained fame here, and Aleppo became a major center of 10th-century Arabic culture.
  3. 950–965Antioch-Tarsus line · LevantHamdanid forces repeatedly contended with the Byzantine Empire in northern Syria, at one point threatening Antioch, with Byzantine generals such as Nikephoros Phokas leading counterattacks. Though the border wars drained state strength, they made the Hamdanids an important barrier of the Islamic world against Byzantium.

Sources