Seljuk Museum
The Seljuks are one of the great Turkish states that shaped history and ruled an area of four million square meters in total, which was included within the borders of Turkey. It is sad to say that it has established sovereignty over such a wide geography and has shaped the cultural, political and social life of many states today. There was no other museum describing the Seljuk State, which stretched from the Indian peninsula to the western ends of Anatolia, and the Seljuk State, which was an extension of this state.
Although it was partially repaired during the Ottoman period, extensive restoration works were carried out starting from 1960 when it was in a dilapidated state. It has been used as the Medical Department Museum by Erciyes University since the 1980s. With the transfer of the use of the double madrasah in 2012, the establishment of the Anatolian Seljuk State Museum began. As the Erciyes College family, we included the Anatolian Seljuk State Museum in our project in order to convey our history and cultural heritage to today and to the future.
Gevher Nesibe Hospital and Gıyasiye Madrasa, also known as Double Menderes, were built by Seljuk rulers II. It was built in 1205, 1206 by his brother Gıyaseddin Keyhüsrev I, upon the will of Kılıçaslan's daughter, Gevher Nesibe Sultan.
The complex, which draws attention with its plain architecture, is one of the most important structures of Anatolian Architecture History that remains today. It takes its place in historical records as the first medical faculty of Anatolia and the world. The museum, which highlights the civilizations related to the Seljuk civilization, brings the oral feature to the fore with its other parts. In the part related to the Seljuk civilization, there are parts such as the Seljuk city, its architecture, science, art, mute, and parts such as the Seljuks in Anatolia and the Seljuks in Kayseri.
The madrasa and the hospital are arranged as two separate buildings side by side in a rectangular shape. The building in the west is a hospital, and the building in the east is the Medicine Madrasa. The madrasa consists of 4 animals, that is, rooms with one side open to the outside, and 11 rooms, the hospital, 4 animals and 20 rooms, the mental hospital section consists of 18 rooms.
In this section, which was used as a madrasah, iwans, resting places, classrooms and polyclinics were used. The medical education given at the school was given as a master apprentice, theoretically and practically.
In the sections related to the bimarhane and hospital, there are sections such as diseases, treatment methods and tools, medicine, water and health, treatment with music, and treatment with color.
Historical artifacts such as Chinese plates, tile panels, amilettes, animal-shaped handles, locks, belt buckles, bracelets, handle cups, jugs, pulpit pieces and balustrades, minaret fragments, tombstones, oil lamps, weight measures are exhibited.
There are 34 exhibition rooms, 12 service rooms and 12 technical rooms in the Selçuk Civilization Museum. There are 589 artifacts and 76 coins in total registered in the inventory of our Seljuk civilization. It continues to buy artifacts and coins from all over Turkey. There are 901 works in total in the museum. Operating as Turkey's first Seljuk Museum, this museum is located at the starting point on the cultural road.
In this section, with the help of maps on large screens, where and when they were established, their pedigree trees and important events about the Great Seljuk and Anatolian Seljuk State are explained interactively.
In this section, coins, zahtirs, archer rings and belt buckles are exhibited. The necessary information for coins and artifacts is on the screens. By enlarging coins and artifacts, he has the opportunity to examine them more closely. Information is given about the throne, sermon, palace, insignia of the ruler with star panels on the wall. There is also a gigantic portrait showing the Great Seljuk ruler Melikşah on his throne.
In this section, the Seljuk Period, weights, scales, coins and oil lamps related to trade are exhibited and information about the Seljuk structures such as Kayseri Castle, Sultanhanı Caravanserai, Hunat Hatun Hanım and their models are exhibited.
In this section, Kayseri is divided into 4 big parts based on the center of Kayseri. In each section, Seljuk artifacts, mosques, churches, hospitals, social complexes, cupolas, etc. in Kayseri. With the help of sensors, information and high resolution photos are projected onto large screens. On the curtains at the back, the 16th century old Kayseri, built by matrakçı Nasuh, is depicted.
In this area, our children learn while having fun and have fun while learning. Children who come to the museum paint Seljuk star molds with the color they want by making stars from organic dough. Thanks to the 10-minute cartoon animation, they can have information about the madrasa and the hospital. They have fun by combining Seljuk Tile puzzles. In addition, with a small knowledge test, they can test themselves about the works of the Seljuk Period.
Selcuklu Civilizations Museum, Turkey The most comprehensive museum created for the visually impaired, Seljuk museums that are hard to reach for the visually impaired.
One-to-one examples of their soldiers were made and they were allowed to see by touching in a sense. Visually impaired history lovers can visit the museum on their own without any help. In addition, for the first time in Kayseri, a museum store in a museum became operational with the Museum of Seljuk Civilization.
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.