Usama ibn Munqidh

Usama ibn Munqidh was born in 1095 at Shaizar, in northern Syria, into the Banu Munqidh family, which ruled the town; his uncle was its emir. His lifetime saw the arrival of the First Crusade and the founding of the crusader states. He spent much of his youth hunting and training for battle, and was considered a possible successor to his uncle, but in 1131 he was sent into exile, and he spent the rest of his long life serving other rulers. For almost fifty years he was a courtier, soldier and diplomat in Damascus, serving Zengi, Nur ad-Din and later Saladin, and he also served the Fatimid court in Cairo. He travelled widely and made the pilgrimage to Mecca. Most of his family was killed when an earthquake struck Shaizar in 1157. In his lifetime he was famous as a poet and man of letters. Today he is remembered for his memoir, the Kitab al-I'tibar, or Book of Contemplation, which gives vivid accounts of the crusaders, some of whom he considered friends. He died in Damascus in 1188, aged 93.

Usama ibn Munqidh is also an author in the library: author page and works.

Faith: A Muslim; his precise religious affiliation remains a subject of academic debate. Source: Wikipedia