The Seljuks, History of Turks-Adiyamanli.org

All About Turkey - Information About Turkey - Traveling Turkey

The Seljuks

The Oguz, who destroyed the Ghaznavid state, succeeded in bringing Anatolia, Iraq, the southern part of the Caucasus, Azerbaijan and the north of Iran under Turkish rule. The Oguz had first formed the Gokturk Empire in the 6th century; after the expansion of Islam among the Turks, but among the Turks the Oguz came to be called the Turkmens.

Tugrul Bey and Cagri (Cakir) Bey were the grandsons of Seljuk whose name the Seljuk Dynasty adopted. In their time they subdued Horasan, defeated the Ghaznavid ruler Mesud in Dandanakan Battle and established the Great Seljuk Empire in 1040.

In 1071, Alp Arslan (1063-1072) fought the battle of Malazgirt to defeat the Byzantine Emperor's forces. He then opened the doors of Anatolia to the Moslem Turk.

The year 1071 is considered to be the beginning of the Turks and that of Islam in Anatolia. It is following this date that the Turks fully conquered the whole of Anatolia and established the Anatolian Seljuk state there as a part of the Great Seljuk Empire.

The first schooling institutions, the Moslem theological medreses, were formed in Anatolia during the time of Kilic Arsian (1153-1192), one in Konya and the other in Aksaray. Following the establishment of these two medreses, the medreses of Sircali in Konya (1242-1243), Karatay (1251); Ince Minareli (1252-1253), Atabekkiye (after 1251-1268), Gokmedrese in Sivas (1271), Buruciyye (1271-1272), Cifte Minareli (1271), and the Cacoglu in Kirsehir (1272) were established.

The Seljuks also attributed much importance to the medical sciences. In nearly all their cities hospitals and medical institutions, called Darush-Shifa, Darul-Afiye and Darus-Sihna, were established. The main medical treatment centers were the Gevher Nesibe in Kayseri (1205), the Izzettin I Keykavus in Sivas (1217), the Torumtay in Amasya (1266), the Muinuddin Pervane in Tokat (1275) and the Pervaneoglu Ali in Kastamonu (1272).

The Anatolian Seljuk state became increasingly affected by Iranian culture and language through the influence of Persian intellectuals coming to the region from Iran.

Return to Turkey, "The Cradle of Civilization"