Great religious leaders and the scholars of canon jurisprudence, the Muslim Scriptures, interpretation, Prophet's sayings, and philosophy had been brought up in the period of Seljuk Empire and they had been protected by the sultans. The scholars of this period had had great effects on the Muslim intellectual and scientific lives for a long time.
The Farsi language had experienced his supreme period in the field of poetry and literature in the period of the Great Seljuk State. Seljuk sultans and princes were fond of poetry and literature. For example, it has been cited that the Sultan Melikshah and Sencer had read and written poems. The Seljuk sultans had protected the famous poets of Iran literature and they stayed in their palaces and wrote some poems that praised them.
Among the Iraq Seljuk Sultans, Arslan-shah (1161-1174) and Tugrul III (1176-1194) had protected the contemporary poets of the period.
The cultural activities in Kirman attract attention in the period of domination of Seljuk State. Kirman Seljuk Emirs had endeavoured great efforts in order to increase the cultural level of the people. As a matter of fact, the diffusion of the prosperity and the wealth in the period of the Ruler Arslan Shah I within the neighbouring countries had attracted several scientists to Kirman. His son, Muhammed was mostly interested in ilm-i nücum (the science of the starts, astrology). Furthermore, the Ruler Muhammed had given various prizes in order to encourage the education. We have learned that he had constructed a library and donated five thousands of books to this library. Kirman Seljuk rulers and statesmen had protected some of the poets, scholars and the religious learned men. These people had written poems about the Kirman Seljuk rulers and the statesmen.
Seljuk State tried to disseminate the sciences through the theological schools that they had constructed. In the Nizamiye theological school that was considered as the university of the period, the positive sciences such as medicine, etc. were taught as well as the religious information. An observatory was built (1074-5) in the period of Melikshah, and the scholars such as the famous astronomy scientist and the mathematician Omar Hayyam, Ebu'l-Muzaffer Isfizari and Meymun b. Necib Vasiti, etc. were occupied in the affairs of observation. This scientific committee had composed the Celali calendar in reference to the title of Sultan Melikshah as "Celalu'd-devle". The philosopher Muhammed b. Ahmed Beyhaki was another famous astronomy scientist and mathematician. Ebu Mansur Abdurrahman Hazini was one of the scholars in the field of astronomy that lived in the period of Sultan Sencer. Ebu'l-Kasim el-Asturlâbî had worked upon his studies in the field of astronomy in the Seljuk palace located in Baghdad. Regarding the science of medicine, Ebû Sa'îd Muhammed b. Ali and Sultan Sencer's chief physician, Bahaeddin Muhammed b. Mahmûd were considered among the famous doctors of the period.
Within the peaceful and quiet environment established by the Seljuk State, various religions and tribes lived in harmony in Anatolia. This situation led to the emergence of a joint culture. Furthermore, the regions of Anatolia were far away from the feelings of fanaticism and it was open to accept various philosophical thoughts and the movements about the Islamic mysticism. Within this environment, the intellectual movements that were initiated since the second half of the century XII led to the training of some important characters such as Mevlanâ Celâl ed-Dîn Rûmî and Yunus Emre, etc. Sultan 'Alâ' ed-Dîn Keykubâd had provided great services for the science, art and religion in the state and he had increased the conditions of the state to the highest level of civilisation. Kadi Burhâneddîn Ebû Nasr b. Mes'ûd Anevî (1211-2) was one of the scholars and poets that had been brought up in the period of Turkey Seljuk State. He had presented his work titled as Enis el-Kulûb written in Farsi language to Sultan İzzeddîn I. Keykavus. On the other hand, Ibn-i Bibi Nâsıreddîn Hüseyin b. Muhammed who had livedin the century XIII had acquired fame with his work titles as el-Evâmir el-'Alâiye that was written about the history of Turkey Seljuk State. The Iranian historian, Muhammed b. Ali er-Ravendî had written a work of art titled as Râhat üs-sudur ve Ayet üs-Sürûr that was about the history of Seljuk State, and he had presented his work to Giyaseddhin Keyhusrev (1204-1210) who was the sultan of Turkey Seljuk State. Kerimüddîn Mahmûd Aksarayî was one of the famous historians that had lived in Anatolia in the centuries XIII and XIV and his work was titled as Müsâmeretü'l-Ahbâr. Kâni'î Mahlaslı Ahmed b. Mahmûd el-Tûsî was one of the contemporary poets that had lived in Anatolia in the century of XIII. This contemporary poet and author of the period had written the short stories of Kelile and Dimne in Farsi language and in verse genre in the name of Sultan Izzeddin Keykavus II. Furthermore, the Seljuk Şahname (Seljuk Poetical History) that was written by him in thirty volumes had been lost. Another poet that had lived in the same century was Hâce Dehhânî and his work titled as Selçuklular Şahnâmesi (Poetical History of Seljuk State) is considered among the lost works.
The Turkish-Islam civilisation that developed in Anatolia in the period of Seljuk State was reinforced with the scientists and artists that had come from the east. Particularly, there were great mystic intellectuals that were contemporary with this period that had lived in Anatolia. One of the greatest Muslim mystics that had lived in Anatolia, Muhyiddîn Arabî (1165-1240) had resided in Konya. His thoughts were maintained by Sadreddîn Konevî (died in 1274) who was his student and the spiritual son. Meanwhile, several Muslim mysics who had run away from the Mongolian invasions had come to Anatolia. Necmeddîn Râzî (Dâye, died in 1256) was one of these Muslim mystics and he had compiled a work in the form of history of politics titled as Mirsâdü'l-ibâd that was written in the name of Sultan Alaeddin Keykubad I.
The great mystic, Mevlânâ Celâleeddîn Rûmî (died in 1273) had run away with his father Bahâ ed-dîn Veled from the Mongolian invasions while he was at a very young age. Then, they had come to Anatolia and settled in Konya. Mevlânâ Celâleddîn who was the founder of the Mevlevi religious order had written his famous works titled as Divân-ı Kebîr, Mesnevî, Fîhi mâ fîh, Mevâ'iz mecâlis seb'a, Mektubât, etc. Mevlâna's son, Sultan Veled (died in 1312) had written his works titled as Divân, İbtidâ-nâme, Veled-nâme and Rebâb-nâme, etc. Some Turkish poets are observed within his work titled as Divan. The real representative of the Turkish nation in Anatolia was Yunus Emre and another contemporary Turkish poet, Ahmed Gülşehrî who had lived in the centuries XIII-XIV. This poet had extended the scope of the work of Iranian poet, Attar titles as Mantıku't-Tayr and he had translated it. Gulsehri had shown that he was a very valuable artist in this work of art. He had written some other works titled as Felek-nâme and Kerâmet-i Ahi Evren. The latter is a small verse work written in Turkish language.
Meanwhile, the books of epics pertaining to the founders of the religious orders and the characters that had played an important role in the training of these people had attained much importance in Anatolia. Some works pertaining to the Mevlevi celebrities such as Mevlanâ, Sultan Veled and Ulu Arif Çelebi had been written down. As a matter of fact, the works titled as "Menâkib" written by Sipeh-sâlâr Ferîdûn b. Ahmed and "Menâkıb el-Arîfîn" (Epics of the Wise) written by Ahmed Eflakî (died in 1360) are of great significance since these works are considered as a historical resource. Eflaki has four Turkish lyric poems as far as is has been known so far.