Ali ibn Yahya al-Armani

Ali ibn Yahya al-Armani was a famed Muslim military commander of the mid-9th century of Armenian decent.

In 840, he was sent to Egypt as its governor, replacing Malik ibn Kaydur.

Later he was named commander of the Caliphate's borderlands in Cilicia (the al-thughur as-Sha'miya), confronting the Byzantine Empire. He is the first Emir of Tarsus known to have exercised near-independent authority, taking advantage of the decline in the power of the Abbasid Caliphate's central government. From this post, Ali undertook several summer raiding expeditions over the Taurus Mountains into Byzantine-held Anatolia: raids led by Ali are recorded for the years 851, 852, 853, 856, 859 and 860. In 862 he was appointed governor of Armenia and Azerbaijan, and in the next year, he was killed in battle with the Byzantines.

According to the 10th-century account of al-Mas'udi (The Meadows of Gold, VIII, 74–75) his reputation was such that he was among the "illustrious Muslims" whose portraits were displayed in Byzantine churches in recognition of their valour.