Al-Aziz Muhammad facts for kids

Al-Aziz Muhammad ibn Ghazi (born around 1213 – died November 26, 1236) was an important ruler, known as an Emir, of Aleppo. He was part of the Ayyubid family, a powerful group of Kurdish leaders. His father was az-Zahir Ghazi, and his famous grandfather was Saladin. Al-Aziz Muhammad's mother was Dayfa Khatun, who was Saladin's brother's daughter.

Al-Aziz was only three years old when his father, az-Zahir Ghazi, passed away in 1216. This meant Al-Aziz immediately became the ruler of Aleppo. Because he was so young, a group of trusted advisors formed a special council to help him rule. They chose Shihab ad-Din Toghrul to be his guardian, also known as an Atabeg. Toghrul was a mamluk (a type of soldier or servant) who had worked for Al-Aziz's father. He was the real ruler of Aleppo for the next fifteen years.

Becoming a Ruler

Al-Aziz Muhammad did not take full control of his power until he was seventeen years old. Even then, he kept Toghrul as his treasurer, showing he still trusted him. Al-Aziz generally tried to stay out of the many arguments and fights between different members of the Ayyubid family. Instead, he focused on making Aleppo stronger and improving its buildings and systems.

Building Projects in Aleppo

Al-Aziz Muhammad continued many building projects that his father, az-Zahir Ghazi, had started. These included making the citadel (a strong fortress) even more secure. Inside the citadel, they built a new palace, a mosque (a place of worship), an arsenal (a place to store weapons), and water cisterns (tanks for collecting water).

Al-Aziz married Fatima Khatun, who was the daughter of al-Kamil, another powerful Ayyubid ruler from Egypt. Fatima Khatun also loved building projects. She ordered the construction of two madrasas (schools for Islamic learning) in Aleppo.

Military Actions

In 1232, shortly after Al-Aziz became an adult, Sultan al-Kamil of Egypt gathered a large army. This army included soldiers from different Ayyubid areas. They planned to attack a region called Diyar Bakr. Aleppo was the only place that did not send any troops to help.

However, in 1234, Al-Aziz did send his soldiers to join another army led by al-Kamil. This army went to invade Anatolia, which is in modern-day Turkey, probably heading for Malatya. Al-Aziz himself did not go on this military trip. The campaign was eventually pushed back by the Seljuq forces, led by Sultan Ala ad-Din Kayqubad.

Death and Legacy

Al-Aziz Muhammad passed away on November 26, 1236, when he was only twenty-three years old. His oldest son, an-Nasir Yusuf, was just seven years old at the time. Because his son was so young, Al-Aziz's mother, Dayfa Khatun, became the regent, meaning she ruled in his place. Al-Aziz also had a daughter named Ghaziya Khatun, who later married the Seljuq Sultan of Rum, Kaykhusraw II.