Abu Nasr Ahmad ibn Fadl
Encyclopedia
Abu Nasr Ahmad ibn Fadl (d. 1126) was the vizier
of the Seljuk
ruler of Damascus
, Tutush.
On his orders, the Umayyad Mosque
was restored in 1082 following the severe damage inflicted upon it during a fire in 1069. In particular, he had its central dome
replaced, the piers supporting the dome reinforced, and the original Umayyad
-era mosaic
s in the interior of the mosque's northern facade
renewed.
According to Muslim
historian Ibn al-Athir, Ahmad ibn Fadl led an attack on the Ismaili
s of Syria in 1126. Al-Athir states that Ahmad ibn Fadl gave his troops orders to "slaughter" the Ismailis, plunder their goods and take their women into captivity. He was assassinated by the Ismailis the same year as retaliation.
Vizier
A vizier or in Arabic script ; ; sometimes spelled vazir, vizir, vasir, wazir, vesir, or vezir) is a high-ranking political advisor or minister in a Muslim government....
of the Seljuk
Seljuq dynasty
The Seljuq ; were a Turco-Persian Sunni Muslim dynasty that ruled parts of Central Asia and the Middle East from the 11th to 14th centuries...
ruler of Damascus
Damascus
Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
, Tutush.
On his orders, the Umayyad Mosque
Umayyad Mosque
The Umayyad Mosque, also known as the Great Mosque of Damascus or formerly the Basilica of Saint John the Baptist , is located in the old city of Damascus, is one of the largest and oldest mosques in the world...
was restored in 1082 following the severe damage inflicted upon it during a fire in 1069. In particular, he had its central dome
Dome
A dome is a structural element of architecture that resembles the hollow upper half of a sphere. Dome structures made of various materials have a long architectural lineage extending into prehistory....
replaced, the piers supporting the dome reinforced, and the original Umayyad
Umayyad
The Umayyad Caliphate was the second of the four major Arab caliphates established after the death of Muhammad. It was ruled by the Umayyad dynasty, whose name derives from Umayya ibn Abd Shams, the great-grandfather of the first Umayyad caliph. Although the Umayyad family originally came from the...
-era mosaic
Mosaic
Mosaic is the art of creating images with an assemblage of small pieces of colored glass, stone, or other materials. It may be a technique of decorative art, an aspect of interior decoration, or of cultural and spiritual significance as in a cathedral...
s in the interior of the mosque's northern facade
Facade
A facade or façade is generally one exterior side of a building, usually, but not always, the front. The word comes from the French language, literally meaning "frontage" or "face"....
renewed.
According to Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
historian Ibn al-Athir, Ahmad ibn Fadl led an attack on the Ismaili
Ismaili
' is a branch of Shia Islam. It is the second largest branch of Shia Islam, after the Twelvers...
s of Syria in 1126. Al-Athir states that Ahmad ibn Fadl gave his troops orders to "slaughter" the Ismailis, plunder their goods and take their women into captivity. He was assassinated by the Ismailis the same year as retaliation.