Banū Munqidh , also referred to as the Munqidhites , were an Arab family that ruled an emirate in the Orontes Valley in northern Syria from the mid-11th century until the family 's demise in an earthquake in 1157 . The emirate was initially based in Kafartab before the Banu Munqidh took over the fortress of Shayzar in 1081 and made it their headquarters for the remainder of their rule . The capture of Shayzar was the culmination of a long , drawn out process beginning with the Banu Munqidh 's nominal assignment to the land by the Mirdasid emir of Aleppo in 1025 , and accelerating with the weakened grip of Byzantine rule in northern Syria in the 1070s . Under the reign of Emir Ali ibn Muqallad ( r. 1059 – 1082 ) , the Banu Munqidh reached their territorial peak with the emirate extending from the Mediterranean port of Latakia to Apamea . The Seljuk conquest of Syria in 1085 and subsequent struggles with local Muslim lords reduced the Munqidh emirate to Shayzar and its environs . Under Emir Sultan ibn Ali ( r. 1098 – 1154 ) , the Banu Munqidh alternated between combating the Crusaders who landed in Syria in 1099 and paying tribute to them . During this period , the family also had to contend with Ismai ' li newcomers encroaching on their domains . To firmly protect the emirate , Sultan ultimately put the Banu Munqidh under Zengid suzerainty . After the death of Emir Muhammad ibn Sultan ( r. 1154 – 1157 ) and his family , the emirate passed to the Zengid emir Nur ad-Din , who granted it to the Banu al-Daya family
earthquake in 1157
1157 Hama earthquake
Banu Munqidh