User:Jothrelkeld/Ince Minaret Medrese

Ince Minareli Medrese, 1901.

Ince Minareli Medrese

The Ince Minaret Medrese, or the Ince Minareli Madrasa, was commissioned by the Rum Seljuk vizir Ṣāḥib ‘Aṭā Fakhr al-Dīn ‘Alī and was built in Konya around 1265. Some of its notable features are the calligraphic portal that serves as the entrance to the complex, its covered dome at the center of the courtyard, and the highly ornate minaret attached to the complex, partially destroyed in 1901. The Medrese is significant because it encapsulates many themes that emerge in Seljuk Anatolia and its corresponding architecture, such as a centrally-planned dome and elaborate ornamental brickwork.

History

The Seljuks, the first Turkish dynasty to rule the Islamic world, converted to Islam in the 10th century. As the Seljuks were Sunni, they wanted to encourage Sunnism through the establishment of mass public education in locations such as madrasas, or legal colleges. The Seljuks in Anatolia simultaneously supported a return to the ideas of Sufism or Islamic mysticism. This is due in part to the influx of Sufis into the region in the early 13th century, largely from central Asia as they attempted to outrun the Mongol conquests. The Sufi presence became so prominent in Anatolia, in fact, that some scholars believe institutions like madrasas began to have features like Sufi gathering spaces added onto them in order to facilitate conversation and debate between Sufis and “ulema.”

It is also worth noting that Konya was a metropolitan center which became a “sultanate city” under Seljuk rule, making it an especially well-funded city. Konya as a capital saw extensive expansion efforts under the rule of  ‘Alā’ al-Dīn Kayqubād, who ruled from 1220-1237.

After the decline in Seljuk sultanate patronage around the year 1243, however, Ṣāḥib ‘Aṭā Fakhr al-Dīn ‘Alī was one of two major patrons of architecture in Konya in the following decades, after the capital had been taken back from the Mongols. He was the vizier who commissioned the Ince Minaret Medrese in 1265. In order to expand Konya as a capital of learning and political power, Ṣāḥib ‘Aṭā Fakhr al-Dīn ‘Alī commissioned sites outside of the city’s center to expand new sections. Upon his death in 1285, he was still a fairly powerful figure in Konya and is buried in his “mosque complex” within the city.

Architecture

Complex Layout

The Ince Minaret Medrese is built close to the old center of Seljuk rule, at the foot of the citadel hill in Konya. The complex of the Medrese is approximately 23.60 meters by 20.30 meters, or about 77.4 feet by 66.6 feet. In the center of the rectangular complex is a dome-covered courtyard which is surrounded by the rooms of the Medrese, or Islamic religious school, on the north, south and west sides. The student rooms are located on the north and south sides of the centrally-placed dome and the medrese classrooms are located on the west side. On the east side of the courtyard is a single-domed mosque with the minaret with two balconies, or şerefes in Turkish, on the south-eastern corner. The courtyard includes a single iwan facing the entrance, or a courtyard space with barrel-vaulted halls and rectangular and square side chambers, which emulates an ancient Persian rectangular space layout that became a standard type during the era of Seljuk Anatolia.

Typical of medieval Islamic architecture, the integration of the mosque into the Medrese architectural plan is evidence of the complex’s multitude of purposes as a religious place of worship and of teaching. The exterior of the complex is made of cut stone, the outer side walls are made of rubble and stone, and the interior uses brick for structural and ornamental purposes. The use of brick decoration was a common feature of Seljuk buildings due to its connections to traditional Anatolian brick architecture.

Portal and Facade

The portal of the building is surrounded by highly ornamented stonework which stretches up the entire facade. While other contemporary Seljuk constructions made use of muqarnas hoods above the entry, the Ince Minaret Medrese instead includes large stone banners of text.  Sura 36 and Sura 110 are inscribed in prominent vertical bands of thuluth calligraphy that intertwine and separate just above the doorway. Geometric and vegetal designs likewise adorn the facade, taking the form of knots, branches, and leaves. Apart from displaying the stonework and script, the facade also conceals the layout of the interior spaces behind it. Within two rosettes framing the portal are inscriptions attesting to the building’s architect, Kölük bin Abdullah, who also designed the Gök Medrese in Sivas as well as the nearby Sahip Ata Complex in Konya. Abdullah is hypothesized to have worked on a number of Ṣāḥib ‘Aṭā Fakhr al-Dīn’s commissions.

Dome

At the center of the courtyard is the centrally-planned, covered dome. Although central plans were common in late Seljuk architecture, the Ince Minaret Medrese diverged from previous centrally-planned courtyards with the addition of the covered dome space. The large central dome emulates pre-Seljuk Anatolian architecture, specifically earlier mosque plans and the standard Anatolian Byzantine church style.

The dome itself receives light by means of a lantern, which illuminates the covered courtyard space. It is supported by four triangular fan pendentives made of exposed brick work. The side chambers of the dome are not decorated at all, which increases the striking aesthetic properties of the central space. The interior of the dome is covered in alternating turquoise and black tiles in geometric patterns that bear an inscription in kufic script.

Minaret

The Ince Minaret Medrese’s name refers to the structure’s original extremely tall minaret, which once possessed two balconies. In 1901, however, the minaret was partially destroyed  by a lightning strike. The lightning strike caused the minaret to fall on the complex’s mosque, which destroyed its dome and resulted in subsequent repairs using concrete and glass. The minaret is located near the gateway of the dome. The base of the minaret is square shaped and built out of brick. As the base goes upward, the square shape gives way to a cylindrical form. Glazed bricks are strategically placed  a slight distance apart in a cylindrical geometric pattern, generating an illusion of free-hanging materials. In addition, green tiles as well as geometric motifs decorate the outer portion of the minaret, creating a distinct Seljuk style of architecture and artwork. It was common practice for Seljuk buildings to be lined in glazed brick and ornamented with a decorative style.