Battle·Abbasid
Battle of Manzikert and Seljuk Victory
- Date
- 26 August 1071 CE463 AH955 years ago
- Place
- Manzikert, eastern Anatolia
- People
- Alp Arslan, Romanos IV Diogenes
The Battle of Manzikert took place on 26 August 1071 in eastern Anatolia. The Seljuk sultan Alp Arslan defeated the Byzantine army of Emperor Romanos IV Diogenes, who was captured. The defeat weakened Byzantine control over Anatolia. In the following decades Seljuk and Turkmen groups settled across much of the peninsula.
Why it matters
The battle opened Anatolia to Turkic settlement and changed the balance of power in the region.