page_title: Madrasa
section_title: Seljuk Anatolia
hierarchical_section_title: Madrasa / Architecture / Evolution and spread across different regions / Seljuk Anatolia
caption_attribution_description: English: Ince Minaret Medrese in Konya, Turkey.Türkçe: İnce Minareli Medrese
context_page_description: Madrasa is the Arabic word for any type of educational institution, secular or religious, whether for elementary instruction or higher learning. The word is variously transliterated madrasah, medresa, madrassa, madraza, medrese, etc. In countries outside the Arabic-speaking world, the word usually refers to a specific type of religious school or college for the study of the religion of Islam, though this may not be the only subject studied.
  In an architectural and historical context, the term generally refers to a particular kind of institution in the historic Muslim world which primarily taught Islamic law and jurisprudence, as well as other subjects on occasion. The origin of this type of institution is widely credited to Nizam al-Mulk, a vizier under the Seljuks in the 11th century, who was responsible for building the first network of official madrasas in Iran, Mesopotamia, and Khorasan. From there, the construction of madrasas spread across much of the Muslim world over the next few centuries, often adopting similar models of architectural design.
context_section_description: In contrast to early Iranian Seljuk madrasas, a large number of madrasas from the Anatolian Seljuk Empire (between 1077 and 1308) have survived, and are the closest examples we have of Iranian-influenced early madrasa architecture. However, though each usually included a large central courtyard, the their overall layouts were more variable and may have reflected more multi-purpose functions, often with an attached mausoleum, a minaret, and an ornate entrance portal. The courtyards were sometimes covered by a large dome (as with the Karatay Madrasa, founded in 1279, and other madrasas in Konya), reflecting an ongoing transition to domed Islamic buildings in Anatolia and later Ottoman architecture.
caption: Ince Minaret Medrese (13th century) in Konya, now housing the Museum of Stone and Wood Art.
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