Sahabiye Medresah, located in the Republic Square, was built in 1267 together with the masjid and the fountain by Sahip Ata Fahreddin Ali who served in various state positions of Seljuk Empire and moved up to the Grand Vizier.

There are two iwans in Sahabiye Medresah which are the entry iwan of the Sahabiye Medresah and main iwan across the entrance. Since the lower parts of the west wall stayed under the ruins, the outer stones have decayed.

There have been many repairs made since it was built. The construction, which is used as a bazaar of booksellers today, served as madrasah for many years before.

This structure,was entirely built by using face Stone according to Anatolian Seljukian architectural tradition.The front of the madrasa ,which is rectangular-planned with open courtyard, has an appearance of medium-sized caravanserai

There are columns with lotus leaf heads at the corners of the crown gate, located in the middle of the southwestern facade,. The original inscription on the crown door was broken, and it was later replaced in the epitaph in the Latin alphabet. It is known that there is a fountain with two arches supported by a column in the middle next to the crown gate. This fountain was removed during restoration.

The crown gate of the madrasa, which overflows the outside of the madrasa, attract attention with its geometric shape and zigzag decorations on the outer edges.

The masjid of the building group was demolished and the Sahabiye Fountain, the oldest fountain in Kayseri, was removed from its existing location due to road planning and moved to the eastern part of the entrance of the building.

There is a fountain in the courtyard together with the madrasa. The fountain was built with a smooth cut stone and is now in use. In the 18th and 19th centuries, it has lost its original character with its repairs.

In the three-line inscription of the fountain; it is indicated that it was built during the reign of Seljuk Sultan III. Gıyâseddîn Keyhüsrev and by Sâhib Ali bin Hüseyin in 1266. In the inscription, it is understood that the person who made the fountain was Seljuk Veziri Sâhib Atâ Fahreddîn Ali.

Erciyes College Social Studies Department

 

Note: Generations Gathering Project has been carried out since 2016 by the secondary school social studies department and students, as a unique work for Erciyes College. You can click to watch the video narration of this project with the comments of our students.