Description of the attraction
One of the historical monuments of Konya, which is not far from Antalya, is the palace, now called "Karatay Madrasah". The building was built in the 13th century (1251) by Selaletdin Karataj, Grand Vizier of Sultan Keykavus II, and housed the School of the Koran. The architecture of the building is borrowed from ancient civilizations and cultures. Now the madrasah belongs to the Selaletdin Karatai Foundation.
This, once the palace of the great king, is located at the northern outskirts of the largest and most beautiful park in the city of Karaalioglu. When you first see it, you immediately get the impression that this is not a palace located in the city, but a large “house in the village”. For the most part, the park consists of not only the country's characteristic trees, but also exotic plants.
Relatively recently, the government decided to restore the palace, in order to turn it into a national museum, which today is an example of amazing stone carving of the Seljuk era, the exhibits of which are the tiles and ceramics of these prominent ancient masters. Considering that this country is famous for handicrafts, the palace will become a real museum of ceramics.
This architectural monument contains many characteristic details of the Arab countries of that century: small threaded parts, large domes. You can also see here, in addition to Arab elements, and features of the ancient Greek architectural culture. In particular, these are the columns erected in the style of the visiting card of Greece - "Temple of Poseidon". The main entrance looks standard for that time. Today Madrasah Karatay is a structure, of which a very small number have survived in this state. At the moment, both the external and internal state of the palace is assessed by experts at a high level, despite the fact that it has survived more than 8 centuries.
The interior of the Karatay Madrasah palace is as unique and beautiful as the exterior. From the first glance at the floor, you start to admire what you see - an amazing and very large-scale mosaic made of ceramics, with small but clear details. The large picture, which depicts local saints, is also beautiful: the contrast, unique look and skill of the creator add invisible pride and grandeur to the general atmosphere of the palace. This scale, the myriad of small parts and the apparent contrast all underline the grandeur of the palace.
Passing further along the corridors, you find yourself in the exhibition hall. It presents many objects from almost all periods of Turkey's existence - from ancient times to the present day. There is a huge number of vases of various shapes, sizes and colors. Dishes are the pride of this museum. All exhibits are divided into sections - the most ancient, ancient, medieval, pre-revolutionary and modern. In the part of the exposition where ancient ceramic dishes are exhibited, one can see very surprising and unusual objects for a modern person.
According to historians, the pots exhibited here were made with pointed bases so that during cooking it was convenient to stick them into the ground. In medieval dishes, the features of modernity are already beginning to be seen, to which we are accustomed, if we do not take into account, of course, the fact that it is about four hundred years old. In addition to ceramic household items, you can see figurines, jewelry and other bright things here.
