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Dirham - Fakhr al-Din Qara Arslan crowned and bearded bust
| Issuer | Artuqids of Hisn Kayfa and Amid |
|---|---|
| Year | 1164 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Obverse description | Facing bust of the Artuqid ruler Fakhr al-Din Qara Arslan, crowned and bearded, rendered in a hieratic Byzantine-influenced style. The effigy is depicted full-face with a broad, stepped crown, pendant earrings or collar ornaments flanking the head, and a stylized beard below the chin. The ruler's shoulders are shown draped and spread wide, with a sword or sceptre visible at lower left. An Arabic legend encircles the bust in the surrounding field, naming the ruler and his titles. |
|---|---|
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| Mintage | 559 (1164) |
| Additional information |
Fakhr al-Din Qara Arslan ruled Hisn Kayfa from roughly 1144 to 1167, navigating the fractious politics of the Jazira during a period when Zengid pressure from Mosul and Aleppo continuously threatened Artuqid autonomy. His issues are among the earliest Artuqid copper dirhams to adopt the frontal bust format borrowed — quite deliberately — from Byzantine folles still circulating in the region, a visual strategy that spoke to a mixed population accustomed to Roman-derived imagery.
The Zeno catalogue entry 20387 places this among the better-documented die pairings for the type, though die alignment and flan preparation vary considerably across surviving examples.