Sayfayı Yazdır

Melikshah's Military Expeditions to Aleppo and the Southern Anatolia


       Pursuant to the victory of the war made with Suleymanshah, the ruler Tutus had advanced towards Aleppo. When Sultan Melikshah got the information about the invitation of the ruler of Aleppo and the death of Suleymanshah, he set in motion from Isfahan together with a large army (September 1086). He passed over Egypt and Harran and assigned the Emir Bozan with the duty of the conquest of Urfa. Then, he captured the castle of Ca'ber and the city of Munbic. Afterwards, he advanced towards Aleppo. Sultan Melikshah penetrated into Aleppo on the date of 3rd December 1086 and established dominion in the city. On the other hand, Emir Bozan besieged the city of Urfa for a period of three months. Pursuant to this severe blockade, he captured Urfa that was under the domination of Philaretos' son, Barsam who had recognised the supreme domination of the Byzantine on the date of 28th February 1087.

       Sultan Melikshah oriented from Aleppo towards the Antioch and then, he advanced from that place towards Suveydiye. He encountered with the waters of the Mediterranean Sea. He assigned Yagibasan to the Antioch, Aksungur to Aleppo and Bozan to Urfa as the governors of these cities. Then, Sultan Melikshah went to Baghdad. Abbasi caliph Muktedi got acquainted with the sultan in a glorious reception ceremony (1087). In the course of this ceremony, Melikshah put on two swords as the symbol of "the ruler of the East and the West" upon the order of the caliph. Furthermore, Melikshah's daughter, Mahmelek Hatun who had been brought from Isfahan got married with the caliph after a magnificent wedding ceremony.

 

 

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