Erzurum - Çifte Minareli Medrese

Some uncertainty surrounds the date of the Çifte Minareli Medrese in Erzurum, otherwise a typical example of a Seljuk Koranic school. Held by some scholars to have been built by the Seljuk Sultan Alaeddin Keykubad II in 1253, more recent research suggests it dates from 1291 at the earliest. The medrese's patron was the Mongol princess Hüdavend Padisah Hatun whose simply decorated türbe can be seen at the rear.

Built of dark volcanic tufa, the medrese now houses a museum. Note the partial relief decoration in the form of ornamental borders, a tree with a double eagle and a vase of leaves. Around the galleried inner court (students' cells) are four iwans linked by arcades.

Two fluted brick minarets flank the