Fannu

Fannu bint Umar ibn Yintan (died April 1147) was a princess and a Commanding officer of the Almoravid dynasty. In the guise of a man, wearing armour she participated in the defense of the citadel of Marrakesh during the Almohad conquest of the city in 1147.

== Life == She was raised in the Almoravid Palace in Marrakesh (in present-day Morocco) as the daughter of Umar ibn Yintan. Her future role was not strange, as women during the Almoravid rule had a higher status than what was otherwise normal in Muslim states. Women at court were known to wield great influence in state affairs in the tradition and example of Zaynab an-Nafzawiyyah, co-founder of the dynasty: women did not wear veils, and the education of women was accepted and normal, with notable women such as Hafsa Bint al-Hajj al-Rukuniyya holding courses for the women of the palace and at least two women known to have been doctors.