Nūr al-Dīn Maḥmūd Zengī (نور الدين محمود زنگي; February 1118 – 15 May 1174), commonly known as Nur ad-Din (lit. "Light of the Faith" in Arabic), was a member of the Oghuz Turkish Zengid dynasty, which ruled the Syrian province (Shām) of the. He reigned from 1146 to 1174. He is regarded as an important figure of the Second Crusade.

Achievements in Masajid’s construction:

Whatever wealth he would receive from the kings and rich people, he would spend it all on the construction of the Masajid. Once he ordered to count the Masajid of Damascus. The count came up to approximately 100. He رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه established Awqaf [administrative department that looks after the religious sites] for them. Other than that, he رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه constructed a lot of Masajid and Madaris in Damascus, Halb [Aleppo], Baalbek, Manbij, Rahba, Mosul, Hama and various other cities. Names of some of them are as follows:

٭ Jami Masjid of Fort Damascus

٭ Masjid Atiyyah near Bab Jaabiyah

٭ Masjid Ramaheen

٭ Masjid of Bazar Saaghah

٭ Masjid Dar-ul-Bateekh

٭ Masjid Abbasi

٭ Masjid Kashk [کشک] (Mirat-uz-Zamaan, vol. 21, pp. 210; Mirat-ul-Jinaan, vol. 3, pp. 291)

٭ Three hundred thousand dinars were spent in the renovation of Al-Jaami’ An-Noori in the city of Mosul. (Mirat-uz-Zamaan, vol. 21, pp. 208)

٭ He رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه established a Dar-ul-Hadees in Damascus. Haafiz Ibn ‘Asakir was the Shaykh-ul-Hadees of this Dar-ul-Hadees. (Urdu Daa`irah Ma’arif-e-Islamiyyah, vol. 22, pp. 503)

٭ He رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه called the famous scholar, mathematician and doctrinal of Khurasan, Qutbuddeen Mahsood Nayshapuri and established a Madrasah ‘Aadiliyah for him. He رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه laid foundations for another Madrasah Aadiliya-tul-Kubra that was completed by Malik ‘Aadil Sayfuddeen Ahmad after him. This was the central educational institute of the Islamic world where great personalities like Ibn Khalkaan, Jalaluddin Al-Qazweeni and Ibn Maalik Nahvi rendered their teaching services. (Ibid)

٭ There was a well in the field of Uhud that was shut down due to a flood. He رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه opened it up again.

٭ He رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه widened the narrow markets of Hijaz Muqaddas. He completed the construction of the safety wall around Madinah Munawwarah. He رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه built shrines, bridges, inns for travellers and hospitals. (Siyar A’laam-un-Nubala, vol. 15, pp. 241)