Sultan Alp Arslan (the Lion-Hearted), who opened the gates of Anatolia (Asian Turkey) to Turks in 1071 by defeating the Byzantine army, is remembered for his heroism and war strategies.

Alp Arsalan was the second sultan of the dynasty of Seljuk, in Persia, and great-grandson of Seljuk, the founder of the dynasty. His actual name was Muhammad ibn Dawud and came to be known as Alp Arslan which means ‘heroic lion’ or ‘courageous lion’.

He inherited the Seljuq territories of Khorasan and western Iran and went on to conquer Georgia, Armenia, and much of Asia Minor (won from the Byzantines). With his victory over the Byzantine emperor Romanus IV Diogenes at Manzikert in 1071, he literally opened the door to the West and Europe for Islam. That same year one of his lieutenants captured Jerusalem.

The above-shown coin minted in the name of Alp Arslan with the title Shahanshah. The obverse depicts the Kalima while the reverse shows the name of king.

Image Source: Wikipedia.org