Battle of Manzikert

Date: August 26, 1071 • Location: Malazgirt, Turkey

This milestone marked the outbreak and beginning of this historic period, which spanned 1071–1072.

Byzantine–Seljuk wars: Seljuk Turks led by Alp Arslan captured Byzantine emperor Romanos IV at the Battle of Manzikert, marking a decline in Byzantine fortunes.

The Byzantine–Seljuk wars were a series of conflicts in the Middle Ages between the Byzantine Empire and the Seljuk Empire. They shifted the balance of power in Asia Minor, Armenia and Syria, sparking multiple wars for control over these regions, including the Crusades. These conflicts lasted until the collapse of the Sultanate of Rum in 1308.