be ▁of ▁honour . ▁In ▁late ▁ 9 6 1 , ▁with ▁the ▁support ▁of ▁the ▁popul ace ▁of ▁T ars us , ▁he ▁ren ounced ▁his ▁alleg iance ▁to ▁the ▁Ham dan id ▁r uler , ▁acknowled ging ▁the ▁Abb as id ▁cal i ph ▁al - M uti ▁instead . ▁In ▁early ▁ 9 6 2 ▁however ▁he ▁was ▁faced ▁with ▁the ▁invasion ▁of ▁C il icia ▁by ▁the ▁By z antine ▁commander - in - ch ief ▁N ike ph or os ▁Ph ok as , ▁who ▁seized ▁the ▁for tr ess ▁of ▁A yn ▁Zar ba ▁and ▁pill aged ▁the ▁C il ician ▁coun tr ys ide . ▁I bn ▁az - Z ay y at ▁with ▁an ▁army ▁of ▁ 4 , 0 0 0 ▁Tar si ans ▁tried ▁to ▁opp ose ▁the ▁By z antine ▁general , ▁but ▁he ▁was ▁defeated ▁with ▁heavy ▁losses , ▁including ▁I bn ▁az - Z ay y at ' s ▁own ▁brother . ▁Following ▁this ▁defeat , ▁the ▁people ▁of ▁T ars us ▁once ▁again ▁turned ▁to ▁Say f ▁al - D aw la ▁for ▁protection , ▁where up on ▁I bn ▁az - Z ay y at ▁killed ▁himself ▁by ▁falling ▁from ▁the ▁window ▁of ▁his ▁house ▁into ▁the ▁B erd an ▁River ▁( F ebru ary ▁ 9 6 2 ), ▁although ▁at ▁least ▁one ▁source ▁( the ▁ 1 3 th - century ▁historian ▁Ya q ut ) ▁reports ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁present ▁at ▁the ▁final ▁surrender ▁of