the second half of the 11th century was marked by the strategically significant invasion of the seljuq turks, who by the end of the 1040s had succeeded in building a vast empire including most of central asia and persia. the seljuk threat prompted the georgian and byzantine governments to seek a closer cooperation. to secure the alliance, bagrat’s daughter maria married, at some point between 1066 and 1071, to the byzantine co-emperor michael vii ducas.