Alp Arslan

Second sultan of the Seljuk Empire (1063–1072)

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Lived 1029–1072, aged 43

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Era
1029–1072
Aged 43

Summary

Updated 2026-08-31

The sultan who cracked open Anatolia. His win at Manzikert in 1071 broke Byzantine hold on the region and set the stage for centuries of Turkish presence in what would become modern Turkey.

Biography

About

Muhammad Alp Arslan bin Dawud Chaghri became the second sultan of the Seljuk Empire in 1063, great-grandson of the dynasty's founder. Over nine years he pushed the empire's borders outward, taking down rivals south, east, and northwest. The pivot came at Manzikert in 1071, where his forces defeated the Byzantines and opened Anatolia to Turkoman settlement. The military record earned him his regnal name: "Heroic Lion" in Turkish. He was assassinated in 1072, less than a year after his signature victory.

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