One of the historical monuments of Konya, near Antalya, is a palace, now called "Madrasa Karatay". The building was built in the 13th century (1251) by Selaletdin Karatay, Grand Vizier of Sultan Keikavus II and housed the Koran School. The architecture of the building was borrowed from ancient civilisations and cultures. Now the madrasah belongs to the Selaletdin Karatay Foundation.
This once palace of the great king is located at the northern edge of the largest and most beautiful park of the city Karaalioglu. When you first see it, you immediately get the impression that it is not a palace located in the city, but a large "house in the countryside". For the most part, the park consists not only of trees typical of the country, but also exotic plants.
Relatively recently, the government decided to restore the palace in order to turn it into a national museum, which nowadays is a sample of marvellous stone carvings from the Seljuk era, exhibiting tiles and ceramics of these outstanding ancient masters. Considering that this country is famous for its handmade products, the palace will become a real museum of ceramics.
This architectural monument has many characteristic details of the Arab countries of that century: small incised details, large domes. In addition to Arab elements, we can also see features of ancient Greek architectural culture. In particular, these are columns erected in the style of Greece's calling card - the "Temple of Poseidon". The main entrance also looks standard for that time. Today, the Karatai Madrasah is a structure, which have been preserved in such a state very few. At the moment, both the external and internal condition of the palace is assessed by experts at a high level, despite the fact that it has survived more than 8 centuries.
The interior decoration of the palace Medrese Karatai is as unique and beautiful as the exterior. From the first glance at the floor, one begins to marvel at what one sees - an amazing and very large-scale ceramic mosaic, with small but clear details. The large painting depicting local saints is also beautiful: the contrast, the unique perspective and the craftsmanship of the creator, add an invisible pride and grandeur to the overall ambience of the palace. This scale, the countless small parts and the visible contrast all emphasise the grandeur of the palace.
Walking further along the corridors, you enter the exhibition hall. It displays many items 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 colours. Ware is 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 the ceramic tableware of antiquity is exhibited, one can see quite surprising and unusual items for modern man.
According to historians, the pots exhibited here had pointed bases so that it was convenient to stick them into the ground during cooking. The medieval crockery is already beginning to show some of the modern features that we are used to, except, of course, for the fact that it is about four hundred years old. In addition to ceramic household items, there are statuettes, jewellery and other colourful items.
