Karatay Madrasa

**Karatay Madrasa** (Turkish: *Karatay Medresesi*) be a madrasa (a school plus a frequently buh no be absolutely religious focus) insyd Konya, Turkey wey dey locate for de foot of de citadel hill, across from de ruins of de Seljuk palace den in view of de Alâeddin Mosque. Since 1954, na de building serve as a museum wey dey display a collection of historic tile art, particularly from de Seljuk period. De madrasa den de Karatay Han, a caravanserai dem plete insyd de 1240s, be de largest extant monuments insyd Konya den ein immediate regions.

## History

Na dem found am insyd 1251 by de vizier Jalal al-Din Qaratay (d. 1254) during de joint rule of de bros Kayqubad II, Kaykaus II, den Kilij Arslan IV. Na dem build de madrasa next to de Küçük Karatay Madrasa, wich no longer dey exist. Na dem build de monument after de Mongol invasions of Anatolia den as a result de design no be strictly Seljuk for nature. Dem bury Jalal al-Din most likely insyd a side room of de Karatay Madrasa, wich dey contain a cenotaph.  

Insyd de records of Shams al-Din Ahmad Aflaki, a biographer of Rumi, na madrasa be a place wer gatherings of both Sufis den scholars take place. Despite de recorded presence of Sufis, de document dey list de madrasa ein endowment (waqfiyya) dey state: "Na he [de founder] stipulate say de müderris (teacher of Islamic law insyd a madrasa) for be Hanafi...", likely na secof de Seljuk rulers be largely Hanafi. 

Ba de tile manufacture of de madrasa be likely coordinated by Muhammad al-Tusi, a master ceramicist from de Iranian city of Tus insyd Khurasan, wey na he sanso be responsible for de tile decoration of de Sırçalı Madrasa.

## Architecture

De madrasa get a rectangular floor plan wey dey measure approximately . A vestibule dey enter am thru a vestibule for de southeast side, for de corner of de building. From de outside, de entrance dey feature a highly ornate stone portal wey dey featur Arabic inscriptions, geometric den floral motifs, *ablaq* masonry (wey dey alternate bands of grey den white marble), den a *muqarnas* canopy over de doorway. De portal, wich no be joined to de body of de building, be similar to dat of de Alâeddin Mosque; de stonework be likely de work of craftsmen from northern Syria insyd de 1220s. Ebe possible say na dem previously build de portal for de same time as de Alâeddin Mosque wey na dem reuse am for de madrasa.
File:Konya_Karatay_Ceramics_Museum_exterior_4462.jpg|Exterior of de madrasa
File:Konya_Karatay_Ceramics_Museum_2826.jpg|De entrance portal
File:Konya_Karatay_Ceramics_Museum_exterior_4467.jpg|Detail of de *ablaq* den *muqarnas* stonework insyd de portal
Around dis main hall a number of doorways dey lead to wat na be formerly small private rooms anaa sleeping quarters for students, buh dese fell into ruin by de 20th century den dema current form dates from a reconstruction insyd de 1970s. For de west syd of de hall be an iwan (a vaulted room wey dey opens directly for de main hall). Two domed rooms sanso dey exist for either side of de iwan, dem access directly from de main hall. Na dese be likely classrooms, of wich na de iwan be likely de main one while de odas na dem intend dem fi use for winter use. De one for de north syd of de iwan na dem sanso be ruined insyd modern times. De southern one na dem use am as a burial chamber wey dey contain a cenotaph, most likely dat of de founder, Jalal ad-Din Qaratay.
File:Konya_sept_2008_4472.jpg|Main hall of de madrasa/museum
File:Konya_Karatay_Ceramics_Museum_2805.jpg|Dome above de main hall
File:Konya_Karatay_Ceramics_Museum_interior_027.jpg|View of de dome transition, plus de arch of de iwan visible below am
File:Konya_Karatay_Ceramics_Museum_2445.jpg|Detail of tilework insyd de dome
File:Karatay_Madrasa,_Konya,_Turkey_10.jpg|De iwan dey branch off de main hall
File:Karatay_Madrasa,_Konya,_Turkey_14.jpg|Tomb chamber for de southwest corner, wer na dem likely bury Jalal al-Din Qaratay


## Museum

Since 1954, de place dey serve as a museum wer na dem unite Seljuk tiles, while artifacts insyd stone anaa insyd wood dey on display insyd Ince Minaret Madrasa, sanso dey insyd Konya. Na dem particularly enrich de collection of Karatay Museum by de finds dem collect from de Kubadabad Palace royal summer residence for Lake Beyşehir shore top, at eighty miles from Konya to de west, wich na dem excavate since de 1960s.

Na dem carry out a restoration of de building insyd 2006. Na anoda restoration project dey in progress as of 2019.
File:Konya_Karatay_Ceramics_Museum_291.jpg|Ceramic plates for display as part of de museum
File:Konya_Karatay_Ceramics_Museum_Kubad_Abad_Palace_find_2405.jpg|Reconstituted tile mosaic from Kubadabad Palace for display
File:Konya_Karatay_Ceramics_Museum_Kubad_Abad_Palace_find_2326.jpg|Kubadabad Palace tile
File:Konya_Karatay_Ceramics_Museum_Kubad_Abad_Palace_find_2378.jpg|Kubadabad Palace tile
File:Konya_Karatay_Ceramics_Museum_2483.jpg|Fragments of gypsum decorations


## References


## External links

* Pictures of most of the collection and some of the building