Trade and trade paths in Anatolia during The Anatolian Seljuk State

In this study, informations about the trade and trade routes in Anatolia during the period of Anatolian Seljuk's were tried to be shown by a systematic study. When Seljuk's came to Anatolia, they united Anatolian Turks under their political governance. Other than this, peoples belong to different ethnic origins came under Seljuk's domination that brought peace and justice to the region. This political unity and solidarity provided by Seljuks opened a way to enliven the trade in Anatolia and opened a way for Anatolia to be an international trade road. Seljuk's began construction in the places they conquered and they built caravanserais around. The Seljuk State firstly gave importance to the land trade routes. In the 13th century, they opened the gates of Anatolia to the sea trade routes with Antalya they conquered in 1207 and Sinop they conquered in 1214. In this way Seljuk's had important trade routes both in Mediterranean Sea and Black Sea. Consequently, trade is a political and social fact besides being an economical thing on account of its causes and effects. Seljuk's are one of the states that displayed the clearest example of this fact. Because while Seljuk's are conquering cities and harbors that have importance and contracting commercial treaties, rather than aiming at developing mutual commercial activity and getting rich the state with commerce, they tended towards providing of commodity that is the need of domestic market