▁of ▁the ▁Muslim ▁con quest s ▁ended ▁with ▁the ▁sie ge ▁of ▁Constantin ople ▁in ▁ 7 1 8 , ▁and ▁the ▁border ▁between ▁the ▁two ▁emp ires ▁became ▁stabil ized ▁along ▁the ▁mountains ▁of ▁eastern ▁An atol ia . ▁Ra ids ▁and ▁counter - ra ids ▁continued ▁on ▁both ▁sides ▁and ▁became ▁almost ▁rit ual ized , ▁but ▁the ▁prospect ▁of ▁out right ▁con quest ▁of ▁By z ant ium ▁by ▁the ▁C ali ph ate ▁re ced ed . ▁This ▁led ▁to ▁far ▁more ▁regular , ▁and ▁often ▁friendly , ▁diplom atic ▁contacts , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁a ▁reci pro cal ▁recognition ▁of ▁the ▁two ▁emp ires . ▁ ▁In ▁response ▁to ▁the ▁Muslim ▁threat , ▁which ▁reached ▁its ▁peak ▁in ▁the ▁first ▁half ▁of ▁the ▁ 8 th ▁century , ▁the ▁Is aur ian ▁em per ors ▁adopted ▁the ▁policy ▁of ▁Icon oc las m , ▁which ▁was ▁abandoned ▁in ▁ 7 8 6 ▁only ▁to ▁be ▁re ado pt ed ▁in ▁the ▁ 8 2 0 s ▁and ▁finally ▁abandoned ▁in ▁ 8 4 3 . ▁Under ▁the ▁Mac ed onian ▁dynast y , ▁explo iting ▁the ▁decl ine ▁and ▁fragment ation ▁of ▁the ▁Abb as id ▁C ali ph ate , ▁the ▁By z ant ines ▁gradually ▁went ▁on ▁the ▁off ensive , ▁and ▁recovered ▁much ▁territory ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 0 th ▁century , ▁which ▁was ▁lost ▁however ▁after ▁ 1 0 7 1 ▁to ▁the ▁Sel j uk ▁Tur ks . ▁ ▁Ra ids ▁under ▁the