Turkey is a beautiful country where history and nature blends. Visitors has interests in history mostly focus on Ottoman monuments such as Palaces and mosques or on ancient cities such as Ephesus, Aphrodisias. However Seljuks who opened the gates of Anatolia to Turks has built many caravanserais, mosques and complex with unique details. Let’s have a look 4 of them which will blow your mind

Divrigi Great Mosque and Hospital, Sivas

Surely, this magnificent monument should be on top of the list. There are so many things to explain. First of all, the portals;

There are 4 different portals and each portal has a different story with its designs. Paradise portal is the most detailed one. All the verses in the Holy book of Muslims describing paradise are engraved on it.Since it is called as paradise portal, all symbols are gorgeous and unique. The portal symbolize a garden of paradise and all its blessing. Since it is the portal which is the entrance of the mosque, it is also called as the main portal. During summers, with the first lights a silhouette of a women appears on the gate.

Located right next to mosque, the hospital is one of the oldest and most important on. During Ottoman Empire, the structure is also used as a school (Medresse) where religious knowledge was taught. It’s been said that Mevlana was also being cured while his family were migrating to Anatolia when he was a child. There is a small pool located right at the center of the hospital. Historians says that the water sound coming from the pool was so beneficial to cure the people during those times.

Gok Medrese, Sivas

It is an Islamic educational institution in Sivas. The original name of the monument is actually “Sahibiye”. However it is mostly known as Gok Medrese because of the sky blue tiles used at the structure. “Gok”means Sky in Turkish and “Medrese” is a school that used to be religional topics was taught during Seljukians and Ottomans. At both side of the portal,twin minarets – 25 meters high – is welcoming you. Don’t forget to take their pics, they look beautiful.

Twin Minaret Medrese, Sivas

A great monument from late Seljuk period in Erzurum. It is thought to be a model for the Medrese in Sivas. As you can see, the portal and the locations of the minarets are nearly same. And there is an inscription of the walls of the portal. It says, it was built in 1271 by the daughter of Seljuqian Sultan Keykubat I. On each side of the entrance, you can see the decorations. On the right site there is a double headed eagle. You can also see it in couple of more buildings from Seljuks such as the mosque in Divrigi,Sivas. It is a symbol for the Seljuks that shows to everyone, they were watching west and east at the same time.

Gevher Nesibe Medical History Museum, Kayseri

Gevher Nesibe was the lovely daughter of Seljukian Emperor Kilicarslan II. After her will, the next emperor (her brother) Giyaseddin Keyhusrev has built a structure. According to a legend, she fell in love with a man but her brother refused this marriage since the man was just an officer in the palace and sent the poor man on dangerous missions to ensure his death.After his death, Gevher Nesibe fell ill. She spoke to her brother before she died and said: “I am ill and no one can recover! My last wish from you to build a hospital in my honor. In this hospital, sick people should be treated well and our people should search the cures for the illnesses.”

The Hospital was built in 1204 and the whole complex hasfinished in 1210. With the help of Turkish Government, it is now such a funmuseum that you can see how they recover sick people during those times.

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