(White Sheep)
The Ak Koyunlu was one of two rival Turkoman federations, or dynasties (the other being the Kara Koyunlu, or Black Sheep), that ruled parts of Kurdistan during much of the 15th century after the death of the great Mongol conqueror Tamerlane in 1405. Early on, the Sunni Ak Koyunlu had Amed (Di-yarbakir) as their capital, while the Shia Kara Koyunlu had their center northeast of Lake Van. The Kurds did not play a major role in the armed struggles of the two.
In 1467, the able Ak Koyunlu leader Uzun Hasan destroyed his rival Kara Koyunlu federation and eventually extended his power over most of Kurdistan. According to the Sharafnama, Uzun Hasan then "took it upon himself to exterminate the leading families of Kurdistan, especially those who had shown themselves devoted to or subjects of the Kara Koyunlu sultans." He made his new capital in Tabriz in what is now Iran. After Uzun Hasan's death, the Iranian Safavid leader Ismail destroyed the Ak Koyunlu in 1502 and proclaimed himself shah.
Historical Dictionary of the Kurds. Michael M. Gunter.