Sa'd al-Din Köpek

Sa’d al-Din Köpek (, Sa’d al-Dīn Kobek bin Muhammad; , died 1238

Biography Köpek, as an advisor to Kayqubad's successor Kaykhusraw II, grew his influence considerably. His first aim was to secure the reign of the new sultan. He had Kaykhusraw's two half-brothers strangled along with their mother, an Ayyubid princess, but he did not become successful, was later killed by Husam al-Din Qaraja, and was hanged on the Seljuk palace walls for treason. It was also known that he wanted the throne of the Seljuks and had made his connections with Mongols. He also had a clash with Ertugrul (father of Osman I) of the Kayi tribe. Köpek wanted to kill Ertugrul to make his path clear, but he failed to do so and was held in Seljuk court, where Ertugrul and Husam al-Din Qaraja were the only two who pointed fingers on his loyality. He suspected the loyalty of the Khwarazmiyya, the remnant followers of Jalal al-Din Mangburni whom Kayqubad had installed in various Anatolian fortresses, and had their leader, a certain Kirkhan, imprisoned. The Khwarazmiyya abandoned their posts and fled to Diyar Mudar, where they applied to the Ayyubids for work as mercenaries. Köpek's suspicion deprived the sultanate of seasoned soldiers at a time of external threat and internal instability.

A caravanserai built by Sa’d al-Din Köpek from 1235 to 1237 survives about from Konya on the road to Aksaray. Known as Zazadin Han, the caravanserai bears two inscriptions: one naming Köpek as founder and dated 1235–36, the other indicating the patronage of both Kayqubad I and Kaykhusraw II.

In popular culture In the Turkish television series, Diriliş: Ertuğrul, Sa’d al-Din Köpek is portrayed by Turkish actor, Murat Garipağaoğlu. In the series, Sa’d al-Din Köpek's name is in Turkish, as The Amir Sadettin Köpek, and is shown as a traitor and is eventually beheaded by the protagonist, Ertuğrul.