Seljuk Empire
RegionIran/Turkey/Central Asia
Period1037-1194
Peak Size3.9 million km2 at peak
Founded ByTughril
About Seljuk Empire
A Turkic empire that conquered Persia and Baghdad, becoming protectors of the Sunni caliph. Sultan Alp Arslan defeated the Byzantines at Manzikert in 1071, opening Anatolia to Turkish settlement. The vizier Nizam al-Mulk built a network of madrasas. Byzantine appeals for help against the Seljuks helped trigger the First Crusade.
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