Sivas - Gök Medrese

Directly below and to the east of the citadel in Sivas lies Gök Medrese with its famous doorway. This former theological school (now closed for renovation work) was endowed by the Vizier Sahip Ata (Fahreddin Ali Ben Hussein) in 1272. It was designed by the Greek architect Koloyan from Konya. With its distinctive Turkish blue tiles it is known as the Blue Medrese.

The rectangular portal area with its stalactiform entrance niche and ornamental border is dominated by two minarets which display some characteristic Seljuk features: deep relief palmettes, starred and scripted decorations, channeled shafts and pedestals decorated with stalactiform patterns. At the corners of the entrance wall stand round columns with honeycomb motifs.

The inner courtyard is surrounded on three sides by a two-story building with cells for the scholars. There is an eyvan (lecture hall) with barrel vaulting on both side walls and on the rear wall.