Zinciriye Madrasa

The Zinciriye Madrasa stands right next to Neva Apart in the historic core of the city. According to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism’s Kültür Portalı, it was commissioned in 1336 by Yahşi Bey of the Karamanid dynasty; some sources name the Karamanid ruler Halil Bey as its founder.

It is the only survivor of the many Aksaray madrasas known from written records, which makes it a living document of the city’s history of learning.

History

The madrasa was built in the 14th century, when the Karamanids ruled Aksaray. Its most famous scholar was Cemaleddin Aksarayî, author of works on hadith, Quranic exegesis, law, ethics, literature and medicine, whom Kültür Portalı lists among its first teachers. His grave lies in the same complex as the Tomb of Somuncu Baba.

In the Republican era the building served other purposes: from 1940 it was used as a prison, and in 1969 Aksaray’s first museum was founded here. After the collection moved to a new building, the madrasa was restored and is now used by Aksaray Municipality for social and cultural events. See Aksaray Museum for the museum today.

Architecture and what to see

Built of local cut tuff and brick, the madrasa follows the classic Anatolian plan of four iwans around an open courtyard. The crenellations on its outer walls give it the look of a small castle.

The portal and the chains that named it

The entrance is through the portal on the east side. Its depressed arch is decorated with muqarnas and small niches, carved in relief in the Seljuk tradition. The name comes from the chains (zincir) hung across the portal arch to stop horses, donkeys and camels from wandering in.

Courtyard, iwans and rooms

Around the open courtyard runs an eight-bay arcade covered with vaults and domes. Behind it are six rooms of different sizes, and two large domed rooms flank the main iwan on the west. The iwans are decorated with floral and geometric motifs.

Getting there from Neva Apart

Neva Apart is in Aksaray city centre, a few minutes’ walk from the Zinciriye Madrasa and the Grand Mosque; the distances below are measured from our aparthotel.

The madrasa is in Zincirli Mahallesi, about 100 metres from Neva Apart — a 2-minute walk. The historic 1930s flour mill building next door (Azm-i Milli) can be seen on the same stop.

Tips for your visit

Because the madrasa hosts events, its opening hours depend on the programme. Even when it is closed, the portal can be admired from outside.

A short walk linking the madrasa with the Grand Mosque and the Crooked Minaret shows you Aksaray’s Seljuk and Karamanid heritage in about an hour.

Other places nearby

• Grand Mosque of Aksaray (Ulu Cami) – Built in 1408–1409 for Mehmed II of Karaman, Aksaray’s Grand Mosque pairs a Seljuk-style carved portal with a pointed-arched stone prayer hall.
• Crooked Minaret (Eğri Minare) – A red-brick Seljuk minaret built under Sultan Alaeddin Kayqubad I (1221–1237) whose pronounced lean made it the symbol of Aksaray.
• Tomb of Somuncu Baba – The Aksaray tomb of Sheikh Hamid-i Veli, known as Somuncu Baba (1331–1412) — the Sufi master of Hacı Bayram-ı Veli.
• Aksaray Museum – Home to a 10,500-year-old skull bearing the earliest known brain surgery, the Ihlara and Çanlı Kilise mummies and the Luwian Aksaray Stele — 10,000 years of local history.

Sources

• Kültür Portalı – Zinciriye Medresesi (T.C. Kültür ve Turizm Bakanlığı)
• Wikipedia – Aksaray