Hatuniye Medresesi, Islamic school in Karaman, Turkey
Hatuniye Medresesi is a 14th-century Islamic school in Karaman, Turkey. It has an open courtyard lined with covered walkways, a large main hall on the south side, and smaller rooms including a domed winter classroom and a tomb on opposite sides of the courtyard.
The medrese was built in the 14th century during the rule of the Karamanid leader Alâeddin Bey, on the orders of Melek Hatun, a princess of the dynasty. It was founded during a period when Karaman was a center of Islamic learning in Anatolia.
The building is now part of the Karaman Museum, so visitors can walk through the courtyard and see the old rooms and the tomb of Nefîse Sultan. The tomb on the west side stands out for its decorated dome and pointed arch entrance, which draw the eye immediately upon entering.
The medrese is in the center of Karaman and can be reached on foot from other historic sites in town. Visiting in the cooler part of the day is a good idea, since the courtyard is open to the sky and can get warm in summer.
The interior walls of the medrese were originally covered with blue and white tiles, which are no longer visible today. They were removed during later alterations, so the plain stone surfaces seen now look quite different from the original interior.
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