Karatay Madrasa was commissioned in 1251 by Emir Celaleddin Karatay during the reign of II. İzzettin Keykavus. The architect of the madrasa is unknown. It was also utilized during the Ottoman period, but was abandoned by the end of the 19th century. Karatay Madrasa holds a significant place in the tile artifacts of the Anadolu Selcuklu Period and was opened as the 'Tile Artefacts Museum' in 1955. Upon entering, visitors are greeted by a courtyard that was once covered by a dome, but is now open. The madrasa can be accessed through another door from here. The courtyard of the madrasa is adorned with a bright lighthouse in the center and mosaic tiles. Verses are inscribed on the upper borders of the walls, on the dome pulley, and on the panels of the cell doors. The Basmala and Ayat-el Kursi can be found in the arch of the main house, which is a tunnel vault located to the west of the building. The triangles serving as the gateway to the dome bear the names of the prophets Muhammad, Jesus, Moses and David, and the names of the four caliphs, Abu Bakr, Omar, Osman and Ali. The Karatay museum displays wall tiles, tile and glass plates from the Kubad-Abad Palace excavation on the edge of Beyşehir Lake, as well as tiles and ceramic plates from the Seljuk and Ottoman periods in Konya and its region, along with lamps and plaster finds.
KARATAY TILE WORKS MUSEUM
