 The Banu Munqidh were described as an "elite, patrician family of well-known warriors who enjoyed a wide reputation for martial valor, honor, piety, and courtly refinement" by historian Adnan Husain.From the citadel of Shayzar, wperched on a rocky hilly enveloped by the Orontes River, the Banu Munqidh ruled a relatively a small emirate largely inhabited by Greek Orthodox Christians.Throughout their rule, the emirate was surrounded by frequently hostile powers, whether local or regional Muslim lords, Crusader principalities or Bedouin tribes.