Evaluation of Anatolian Seljuks Madrasahs within the Context of Structural and Spatial Characteristics: The Case of Konya Sırçalı Madrasah

From the past to the present, Konya is a city that has witnessed the emergence of many civilizations, hosted and significantly succeeded to maintain historical monuments. The city of Konya, which maintains its importance in every period, was the capital of the Anatolian Seljuk State, and many military, religious and civil/social structures were built during the period. Madrasahs, which are educational and health structures as the civil buildings in Konya, are the most monumental examples of settlement centers. One of these, Sırçalı Madrasah, which was built by Seljuk's Emir Bedreddin Muslih in 1242 and is named after its tile ornaments, is one of the most spectacular buildings of the Anatolian Seljuk art with its layout, stonework and ornamental features. Since Sırçalı madrasah is the only example of madrasah that is extant with its unique and distinctive architecture, it is a structure that should be protected as a cultural heritage and transferred to the next generations. In this study, plan scheme, construction technique, material and decoration characteristics of Konya Sırçalı Madrasah were analyzed and its current condition was evaluated. For this purpose, the architecture of the Anatolian Seljuk Madrasah was analyzed in terms of plan schemes. In the field study, architectural features, changes, and to what extent Sırçalı Madrasah, which is an example of the open courtyard plan type, preserved its original condition was analyzed. It is obvious that the study will contribute to the description of the structural and spatial characteristics of the Anatolian Seljuk madrasahs. With the data obtained, it is aimed to keep this cultural heritage alive in the memory of the city and transfer it to the next generations by creating a cultural inventory related to Sırçalı Madrasah which is one of the important monumental structures of Konya.