Seljuk Timeline

10000 BCE – 1500 CE · 11 sites

All sites in this period

Ani

500 CE – 1400 CE

A medieval Armenian capital on the Turkish-Armenian border, once home to over 100,000 people. Its ruins include magnificent churches, mosques, and fortifications spanning centuries of multicultural history.

ByzantineMedieval

Panoramic view of ancient Antakya from the hills

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Antioch (Antakya)

300 BCE – 1268 CE

One of the four great cities of the ancient world and a cradle of early Christianity. Antioch's extraordinary mosaics rival those of Pompeii, and its layered history spans Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, and Islamic civilizations.

ClassicalHellenisticRoman

The iconic turquoise dome of the Mevlana Museum in Konya

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Konya (Iconium)

3000 BCE – 1400 CE

The magnificent capital of the Seljuk Sultanate of Rum, home of Rumi and the Whirling Dervishes, with roots stretching back to the Bronze Age and connections to both St. Paul's journeys and classical mythology.

Bronze AgeClassicalRoman

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Mardin

3000 BCE – 1500 CE

A Mesopotamian cliff city cascading down a rocky escarpment above the Syrian plain, where Artukid Turkish architecture, Syriac Christian monasteries, and Arab influence have created one of the most visually stunning and culturally layered urban landscapes in the world.

Bronze AgeMedieval

Pool of Abraham (Balıklıgöl) in Şanlıurfa with sacred fish and Rizvaniye Mosque

Continent Record

Oldest City in Asia

Edessa (Şanlıurfa)

9000 BCE – 1500 CE

One of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, legendary birthplace of Abraham, capital of the Crusader County of Edessa, and gateway to Göbekli Tepe.

Bronze AgeClassicalHellenistic

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World Record

Oldest City in the World

Hasankeyf

10000 BCE – 1500 CE

A 12,000-year-old cliff city on the Tigris River with cave dwellings, medieval bridges, and Artukid monuments — one of the oldest continuously inhabited settlements in the world, now partially submerged by the Ilısu Dam in one of the most controversial heritage losses of the 21st century.

NeolithicBronze AgePrehistoric

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Sivas (Sebasteia)

2000 BCE – 1400 CE

A city spanning from the Hittite period to the heights of Seljuk architecture, home to some of Anatolia's most spectacular medieval madrasas and caravanserais, where intricate stone carving reached unparalleled artistic sophistication.

Bronze AgeIron AgeMedieval

Safranbolu

1200 CE – 1500 CE

A UNESCO World Heritage town preserving over 1,000 Ottoman-era timber houses, historic bazaars, and bath complexes — the finest intact example of a traditional Ottoman trading town, named for its centuries-old saffron trade.

MedievalOttoman

Alanya Castle

200 BCE – 1300 CE

A massive Seljuk fortress crowning a rocky Mediterranean peninsula, with the iconic Red Tower, medieval shipyard, and kilometers of defensive walls — one of the finest examples of Seljuk military architecture.

HellenisticRomanByzantine

The extraordinary carved northern portal of the Divriği Great Mosque

Divrigi

1228 CE – 1229 CE

A UNESCO World Heritage masterpiece — the Great Mosque and Hospital of Divriği features the most extraordinary stone-carved portal decoration in all of Islamic architecture, described as an open-air sculpture gallery.

Medieval

Stratonikeia

300 BCE – 1300 CE

A remarkably well-preserved Hellenistic and Roman city in Caria, unique for being partially inhabited by the modern village of Eskihisar, creating a living landscape where ancient and contemporary coexist.

HellenisticRomanByzantine