1071 AD
Battle of Manzikert
Seljuk Turks defeat and capture the Byzantine emperor, opening Anatolia.
- Time period
- 1071 AD
- Region
- Anatolia (Eastern Turkey)
- Theme
- Military
- Civilization
- Byzantine Empire and Seljuk Turks
On 26 August 1071, Sultan Alp Arslan's Seljuks defeated the Byzantine army and captured Emperor Romanos IV Diogenes. The loss left Anatolia open to Turkish settlement. It later contributed to the Byzantine appeal that helped launch the Crusades.