Editing Alp Arslan (section)

=== Campaign of Northwest (1064) ===
In 1064 he led a campaign in northwestern<ref>{{Cite web |title=ALP ARSLĀN |url=https://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/alp-arslan-saljuq-sultan/#:~:text=Alp%20Arsl%C4%81n%20was,string%20of%20fortresses |access-date=2025-05-03 |website=Encyclopaedia Iranica |language=en-US}}</ref> Along with [[Nizam al-Mulk]] and [[Malik-Shah I]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=ALPARSLAN |url=https://islamansiklopedisi.org.tr/alparslan#:~:text=Alparslan,%20%C3%A7ocuklar%C4%B1%20aras%C4%B1nda%20en%20fazla%20sevdi%C4%9Fi%20Melik%C5%9Fah%20ile%20Horasan%E2%80%99dan%20getirdi%C4%9Fi%20eski%20veziri%20Niz%C3%A2m%C3%BClm%C3%BClk%20de%20beraberinde%20olarak%20Rey%E2%80%99den%20Azerbaycan%E2%80%99a%20hareket%20etti%20ve%20ordusu%20yolda,%20sefer%20halinde%20bulunan%20T%C3%BCrkmen%20reisi%20Tu%C4%9Ftegin%20taraf%C4%B1ndan%20da%20takviye%20edildi. |access-date=2025-05-06 |website=TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi |language=tr}}</ref> he then marched into [[Bagratid Armenia|Armenia]] and [[Kingdom of Georgia|Georgia]], which he conquered in 1064.{{sfn|Bosworth|1968|p=62-65}} Alp Arslan and [[Malik-Shah I]] captured the regions between Tbilisi and the Çoruh river, many cities and castles,<ref>{{Cite web |title=ALPARSLAN |url=https://islamansiklopedisi.org.tr/alparslan#:~:text=G%C3%BCrcistan%E2%80%99a%20giren%20Alparslan%E2%80%99%C4%B1n,%C3%B6demeyi%20kabul%20etti. |access-date=2025-05-18 |website=TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi |language=tr}}</ref> especially Akhalkalaki, Alaverdi, [[Byurakan]] (Anberd), Surmari and Meryemnişin.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Kafesoğlu |first=İbrahim |url=https://www.kitapyurdu.com/kitap/sultan-meliksah-devrinde-buyuk-selcuklu-imparatorlugu/354301.html |title=Sultan Melikşah Devrinde Büyük Selçuklu İmparatorluğu |date=2019-01-15 |publisher=Ötüken Neşriyat |isbn=978-605-155-195-1 |language=tr}}</ref><ref name="Toksoy">[https://turuz.com/storage/Turkologi-1-2019/3862-1-1018-1071_Yillari_Arasinda_Selcuqlu-Bizans_ilishgileri_Ve_Ermeniler-ahmed_toksoy.pdf 1018-1071 Yılları Arasında Selçuklu Bizans İlişkileri ve Ermeniler]
A Toksoy. Yeni Türkiye S. 60 CI Ermeni Meselesi Özel Sayısı. 2014.</ref> Alp Arslan went on an expedition to Anatolia and Subizshahr, Akkent, Ağcakale and surrounding Anatolian castles were captured.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ergin |first=Ayan |title=Sultan Alparslan'ın Ermeni-Gürcü Siyaseti |trans-title=Sultan Alp Arslan's Armenian-Georgian Policy |url=https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/download/article-file/155457 |website=Dergi Park |pages=18, 19 |language=Turkish}}</ref> Ani, the most fortified castle of the Byzantine Empire, was besieged. The city of Ani was defended by two Byzantine generals, Duke Bagrat and Gregor.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Honigmann |first=Ernst |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3cJCHQAACAAJ |title=Bizans Devletinin Doğu Sınırı |date=1970 |publisher=İstanbul Üniversitesi Edebiyat Fakültesi Yayınları |language=tr}}</ref> After a siege of 25 days, the Seljuks [[Siege of Ani (1064)|captured Ani]], the capital city of Armenia.<ref>{{Citation |last=Köymen |first=Mehmet Altay |title=Büyük Selçuklu imparatorluğu tarihi. 3: Alp Arslan ve zamanı |date=1992 |issue=23 |series=Türk Tarih Kurumu yayınları 7. dizi |place=Ankara |publisher=Türk Tarih Kurumu Basımevi |isbn=978-975-16-0479-8}}</ref> After the Seljuks captured Ani, [[Kars]] surrendered to the Seljuks and was thus taken without a fight.<ref>{{Cite web |title=ALPARSLAN |url=https://islamansiklopedisi.org.tr/Alparslan#:~:text=Ani%E2%80%99nin%20d%C3%BC%C5%9Fmesi%20%C3%BCzerine%20Kars%20prensi%20Gagik%20(Hay%C4%B1k)%20Alparslan%E2%80%99%C4%B1%20Kars%E2%80%99a%20davet%20ederek%20b%C3%BCy%C3%BCk%20t%C3%B6renlerle%20kar%C5%9F%C4%B1lad%C4%B1%20ve%20t%C3%A2biiyetini%20sundu |access-date=2025-05-03 |website=TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi |language=tr}}</ref> An account of the sack and massacres in Ani is given by the historian [[Sibt ibn al-Jawzi]], who quotes an eyewitness saying:
{{blockquote
| The army entered the city, massacred its inhabitants, pillaged and burned it, leaving it in ruins and taking prisoner all those who remained alive... The dead bodies were so many that they blocked the streets; one could not go anywhere without stepping over them. And the number of prisoners was not less than 50,000 souls. I was determined to enter the city and see the destruction with my own eyes. I tried to find a street in which I would not have to walk over the corpses, but that was impossible.<ref>Quoted in {{cite book|last=Norwich|first=John Julius|author-link=John Julius Norwich|title=Byzantium: The Apogee|publisher=Viking|location=New York|year = 1991|pages= 342–343|isbn = 978-0-394-53779-5}}</ref>
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