Al-Nasir

Abū al-ʿAbbās Aḥmad ibn al-Hasan al-Mustaḍīʾ (Arabic: أبو العباس أحمد بن الحسن المستضيء), better known by his laqab al-Nāṣir li-Dīn Allāh (الناصر لدين الله; 6 August 1158 – 5 October 1225) or simply as al-Nasir, was the Abbasid caliph in Baghdad from 1180 until his death. His laqab literally can mean The One who Gives Victory to the Religion of God. He continued the efforts of his grandfather al-Muqtafi in restoring the caliphate to its ancient dominant role and achieved a surprising amount of success as his army even conquered parts of Iran. According to the historian, Angelika Hartmann, al-Nasir was the last effective Abbasid caliph. He was able to gain full control over Mesopotamia after 200 years of nominal rule by the Abbasids since the overtake in 945 by the Shia Buyids and later the Seljuks. In addition to his military success al-Nasir built many monuments in Baghdad that are still standing such as Bab al-Wastani gate, Abbasid Palace of Baghdad, Zumurrud Khatun Mausoleum, he also established the mosques of Al-Sarai and Hayder-Khana.