 The city of Byzantium was founded in the seventh century BC by the Greek, and rebuilt as a Roman city in 303 AD by the Roman emperor Constantine I. Rug weaving was probably known already in Anatolia during this time, but no carpets are known today which can be dated back to this time.In 1071 AD, the Seljuq Alp Arslan defeated the Roman Emperor Romanos IV Diogenes at Manzikert.This is regarded as the beginning of the ascendancy of the Seljuq Turks.