European Union Twinning Project
Assistance To The Turkish Road Transport Sector

• Introduction To Anatolia
• Anatolia Until The Turks
• The Seljuk Turks Period
• The Ottoman Turks Period
• The Turkish Republic

SELJUK (SELÇUKLU) TURKS PERIOD

(1071-1243 AD)

The Oguz Turks, under the leadership of Tugrul Bey and Cagri Bey established the Great Seljuk Empire in 1040 AD and the Turks started to settle in Anatolia during this period, in the early 11^th century.

The Malazgirt victory in 1071 against the Byzantines opened the doors for the Turks into Anatolia. Later Turks fully conquered the whole of Anatolia and established the Anatolian Seljuk State as part of the Great Seljuk Empire.

The trade was very important for the Seljuks. For the trader's needs and their caravans they developed the caravansaries. The Sultanhan Caravansary, the largest of all Seljuk caravansaries in Anatolia, was built by Sultan Alaattin Keykubat I during this period, in 1229.

Seljuks built medresses (Muslim theological schools) as well. The most frequently encountered type of architectural decoration during the Anatolian Seljuk period was the tiles and ceramics.



Examples of the outstanding Seljuk architecture; mosques and theological seminaries are today mostly found in Konya which was once the capital city of the Seljuks.

When the Anatolian Seljuk State collapsed at the beginning of the 14C, the Era of Turkish States (1318- 1453) began. During this period, the Turkish language was developed rapidly and became the official language of the Principalities. Among these principalities, the Ottoman Principality restored the political unity in Anatolia.