Rubuta ci gaba ga wannan sakin layi - Zengi, ɗan Aq Sunqur al-Hajib, ya zama atabeg na Seljuk na Mosul a 1127. Da sauri ya zama babban shugaban Turkic a Arewacin Siriya da Iraki, yana karɓar Aleppo daga Artuqids masu jayayya a 1128 kuma ya kama County na Edessa daga Crusaders bayan kewaye da Edessa
a shekara ta 1144. Wannan aikin ya sa Zengi ya zama gwarzo a duniyar Musulmai, amma wani bawa ya kashe shi bayan shekara biyu, a shekara ta 1146.