The 955th anniversary of the Battle of Manzikert will be marked with a four-day program combining historical remembrance, culture and traditional Turkish sports in Ahlat and Malazgirt.
The 10th edition of the “Anatolia’s Conquest: Manzikert 1071 Commemoration Program,” organized by the Archers Foundation under the auspices of the Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye, will be held Aug. 23-26.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is expected to attend the main commemorative events.
The program will bring athletes, cultural groups and visitors together at locations closely associated with the Seljuk victory over the Byzantine Empire in 1071.
Alongside ceremonies commemorating Sultan Alp Arslan and the battle, the event will feature national championships in traditional archery, mounted archery and kökbörü.
The Battle of Manzikert was fought Aug. 26, 1071, near modern-day Malazgirt in Muş between the Byzantine army led by Emperor Romanos IV Diogenes and the Seljuk forces commanded by Sultan Alp Arslan.
Romanos had launched a major campaign into eastern Anatolia in an effort to strengthen Byzantine control of the empire’s frontier and curb Seljuk raids. His army, which included Byzantine troops and foreign mercenaries, captured Manzikert before the emperor divided his forces and sent part of the army toward Ahlat.
Alp Arslan quickly redirected his forces and confronted the Byzantine army.
The Seljuks secured a decisive victory. Romanos was wounded and captured, becoming the first Byzantine emperor to be taken prisoner by a Muslim commander in centuries.
Historical accounts indicate that Alp Arslan treated the defeated emperor with considerable respect. The two sides reached terms that included a ransom, tribute and territorial concessions before Romanos was released.
The battle’s immediate military casualties were not necessarily catastrophic by the standards of medieval warfare, but its political consequences were far-reaching.
Romanos was later deposed, and the Byzantine Empire was plunged into internal conflict.
The resulting instability weakened Byzantine control across Anatolia and helped create conditions for increased Turkic migration and settlement.
For Turkish historical memory, Manzikert represents a defining moment in the opening of Anatolia to Turkish settlement and is widely remembered as the beginning of a process that would transform the region.
That historical significance is central to the annual commemorations, which are held at or near the sites associated with the battle.
Traditional archery will take center stage in Malazgirt on Aug. 23-24 with the “955th Year Sultan Alp Arslan Open-Air Special Puta Koşusu,” organized by the Türkiye Traditional Turkish Archery Federation.
Archers from across Türkiye will compete in the event on the historic ground where Alp Arslan’s campaign unfolded nearly a millennium ago.
The competition is intended not only as a sporting event but also as a way to keep traditional archery alive. The discipline has deep roots in Turkish military and cultural history, and organizers are using the anniversary program to connect contemporary athletes with that heritage.
Malazgirt will also host the finals of the TGASDF 2026 Türkiye Mounted Archery Championship on Aug. 24-25.
Organized by the Türkiye Traditional Equestrian Sports Branches Federation, the competition will determine the national champion in one of the most visually distinctive traditional equestrian disciplines.
Riders will combine speed, balance and precision as they fire arrows while moving on horseback, recreating skills historically associated with mounted warfare and Turkic equestrian culture.
The championship is expected to attract competitors from different parts of Türkiye, giving spectators an opportunity to see a traditional discipline performed at a national competitive level.
Ahlat will host the 2026 TGASDF Kökbörü League Final on Aug. 23-24.
Kökbörü is a traditional Central Asian equestrian game related to buzkashi in which teams compete while carrying a weighted object traditionally associated with a goat carcass. The fast-paced sport has long been part of the equestrian traditions of Central Asian peoples.
Teams from different regions of Türkiye will compete in Ahlat, bringing another major traditional sport into the anniversary celebrations.
The event will provide a particularly strong cultural dimension to the program, showcasing an equestrian tradition that has survived through generations and remains part of Türkiye’s efforts to preserve traditional sports.
The 2026 program is designed to make the Manzikert anniversary more than a historical commemoration.
By staging national championships at locations associated with the Seljuk victory, organizers are bringing traditional sports into the center of the celebrations and presenting them as living elements of cultural heritage.
The events in Ahlat and Malazgirt will include traditional sports activities, cultural presentations and displays designed to reflect Turkic history and heritage.
The program will begin Aug. 23 and continue through Aug. 26, with major commemorative ceremonies expected to culminate with Erdoğan’s participation.
