Cifte Minaret Madrasa

The Cifte Minaret Madrasa was built in 1253 by Hudavent Hatun, the daughter of Seljuk Sultan Rûm Kayqubad I. It is located in the city center, next to the Erzurum Grand Mosque and across from the Erzurum Castle and Clock Tower. It is considered the masterpiece of Seljuk architecture in Anatolia. The dragon, tree of life, and eagle motifs decorate the crown door, its double minarets, each 26 meters high, are decorated with colorful tiles, and The lecterns of the 16-groove, turquoise-colored tile-inlaid brick minarets, which look partly destroyed today, are the unique features of the madrasa. Because of its two sumptuous minarets, it is called Cifte Minareli, which means "double minaret madrasa." The tiles and carved stone motifs that were removed from the madrasa are on exhibit in the Leningrad Museum today.