Battle of Manzikert 1071
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The Battle of Manzikert between the Byzantine Empire and the Seljuk Empire took place on the 26th of August 1071. It took place near Manzikert (modern-day Malazgirt, Turkey). It was a decisive victory for the Seljuks, led by Sultan Alp Arslan, against the Byzantine forces commanded by Emperor Romanos IV Diogenes. The Seljuks crushed the Byzantine forces, capturing Emperor Romanos IV.
The Byzantine Empire had been weakened by internal strife and military challenges, while the Seljuk Turks, a nomadic steppe people, were expanding their influence in the Islamic world. Romanos sought to secure the empire’s eastern borders and recover lost territories, particularly in Armenia, which had been overrun by Seljuk raids.
The victory of the Seljuk and capture of Emperor Romanos IV resulted in civil war that weakened of the Byzantine empire and led to its eventual replacement by the Turks and Ottoman Empire.
