Cifte Minareli Medrese (literally Twin Minarets Madrasa) is one of the finest examples of Anatolian Seljuk architecture. It was built in the second half of the 13th century and used as a theological school.

It has a colorful history not only as a theological school, but also as a gun foundry in the seventeenth century and as an arsenal and armory in the nineteenth century. More recently it has been used as a museum, which it continues to host today. It is the largest madrasa in Anatolia.

It is in the city of Erzurum, Turkey.

The Great Mosque of Diyarbakir is the oldest and one of the most significant mosques in Anatolia. Following the Muslim capture of Diyarbakir in 639, a church in the city was used in part as a mosque. The church was eventually fully converted to a mosque, but the building fell into disuse and ruin. In 1091 Sultan Malik Shah directed the local Seljuk governor Maidud Davla to rebuild a mosque on the site. Completed in 1092, the mosque is similar to and heavily influenced by the Umayyad Great Mosque in Damascus (which was repaired by Malik Shah in the twelfth century prior to work in Diyarbakir). The influence of the Damascus mosque brought Syrian architecture and decoration to Anatolia.

Nemrut Mountain is a 2,134 meters (7000 ft.) high mountain in eastern Turkey, 40km north of Kahta, near Adiyaman. At the top of Mt. Nemrut, King Antiochus I Theos of Commagene built his tomb-sanctuary along with huge statues (8-9 meters high) of himself, two lions and two eagles, and various Greek and Persian gods such as Hercules, Zeus-Oromasdes (associated with the Persian god Ahura Mazda), Tyche, and Apollo-Mithras in 62 BC. These statues were once seated, with names of each god inscribed on them. The heads of the statues are scattered throughout the site; the pattern of damage to the heads (notably to noses) suggests iconoclasm. There are stone slabs, with bas-relief figures on them, that are thought to have formed a large frieze. These stones display the ancestors of Antiochus, both which are Macedonians and Persians. This tomb contains stone carvings of gods, such as the head of an eagle.

The statues have the likeness of Greek facial features, in conjunction with Persian clothing and hairstyling. The western terrace contains a large slab with a lion, showing the arrangement of stars and the planets Jupiter, Mercury and Mars on July 7 62 BC, the possible time when construction began on this monument. The eastern portion is well preserved, being composed of several layers of rock, and there is evidence of a walled passageway linking the eastern and western terraces, from a path below at the foot of Mount Nemrut. Possible uses for this site might have included religious ceremonies, due to the astronomical and religious nature of the monument.

The Bosphorus, also known as the Istanbul Strait is a strait that forms the boundary between the European part (Rumelia) of Turkey and its Asian part (Anatolia). The world’s narrowest strait used for international navigation, it connects the Black Sea with the Sea of Marmara (which is connected by the Dardanelles to the Aegean Sea, and thereby to the Mediterranean Sea). It is approximately 30 km long, with a maximum width of 3,700 metres at the northern entrance, and a minimum width of 700 metres between Kandilli and Asiyan; and 750 metres between Anadoluhisarı and Rumelihisarı. The depth varies from 36 to 124 metres in midstream.

Ani is a ruined and uninhabited medieval city-site situated in the Turkish province of Kars, beside the border with Armenia. It was once the capital of a medieval Armenian kingdom that covered much of present day Armenia and eastern Turkey. The city is located on triangular site, visually dramatic and naturally defensive, protected on its eastern side by the ravine of the Akhurian River (Turkish: Arpacay) and on its western side by the Bostanlar or Tzaghkotzadzor valley. The Akhurian is a branch of the Aras River and forms part of the current border between Turkey and Armenia. Called the "City of 1001 Churches", it stood on various trade routes and its many religious buildings, palaces, and fortifications were amongst the most technically and artistically advanced structures in the world.

At the height of its glory, Ani had a population of 100,000 - 200,000 people and was the rival of Constantinople, Baghdad and Cairo. Long ago renowned for its splendor and magnificence, Ani has been abandoned and largely forgotten for centuries.

Ishak Pasha Palace is more of a complex than a mere palace. It is the second administrative campus after the Topkapı Palace in İstanbul and the most famous of the palaces built at recent decades.

The palace which was built on a hill at the side of a mountain 5 km. east of Dogubeyazit District is the last large monumental structure of the Ottoman Empire in the "Lale Devri" Period. It is one of the most distinguished and magnificent examples of the 18th century Ottoman architecture and is very valuable in terms of art history. According to the top of the door inscription at the Harem Section it was constructed in 1784.

What is unique about this valley is the ancient history of its inhabitants. The whole canyon is honeycombed with rock-cut underground dwellings and churches from the Byzantine period.

Due that the richness of the watering possibility and its hidden form and easily to hide structure it was the first settlement place of the first Christians escaping from the Roman soldiers. In the Ihlara Valley there are hundreds of antic churches caved in the volcanic rocks. The most known churches are Agacalti Church with cross plan, Sumbullu Church, Purenliseki Church, Kokar Church, Yilanli Church, Karagedik Church, Kirkdamatli Church, Direkli Church, Ala Church, Kemerli Church and Egritas Church.

Goreme (Greek: Κόραμα ("Korama")), located among the "fairy chimneys" rock formations, is a town in Cappadocia, a historical region of Turkey. It is in the Nevsehir Province in Central Anatolia. The Goreme National Park was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1985.

The first period of settlement within the region reaches to Roman period of Christianity era. Among historical sites are Ortahane, Durmus Kadir, Yusuf Koc and Bezirhane churches in Goreme, including Tokali Kilise, the Apple Church, houses and shafts engraved from rocks.

The monastry was constructed in IVth century. Engraved Virgin Mary Church(Theodoros Temple) and Mar Yakup Monastry with Deir-ul Zaferan constituted a trio which is one kilometer north from the monastery. There is a Bible of great historical value and a sacred stone in the mosque, from where the first School of Medicine is to thought to have been established.

Deir-ul Zaferan is one of the most known structure of Upper Mesopatamia and the religious center of Suryani Kadim Community. The monastery was built in IVth century and mosaics remaining from that period have still been present. One of the most significant properties of the monastry is the fact that the graves of the 52 Syrian Orthodox patriarch are within this structure.

19 new pictures were added to "Southest-Dara" category.

Dara was formerly an important transit trading center of Mesapotamia and takes its name from the famous Persian King Darius. When it was still thriving, Dara changed hands many times between the Eastern Roman Empire and the Persians. After the 15th century, it switched permanently into Turkish hands. The enormous water cisterns here were originally built to meet the great water needs of Dara’s castle. There are many ruins underneath the castle area.

19 new pictures were added to "Istanbul-Ferruh Kethuda Mosque" category. To the right of Balat Kapisi and on the same street as the church we come to a small mosque which is a minor work of the great Sinan. A long and handsomely written inscription in Arabic over the fine entrance portal of red conglomerate marble informs those who can read it that the mosque was built in A. H. 970 (A.D. 1562-3) by Ferruh Aga, Kethuda (Steward) of the Grand Vezir Semiz Ali Pasa.

It was established by Gazanfer Aga in 1599, includes a small medrese, the turbe of the founder, and a charming sebil with handsome grilled windows.

Category Info:
Istanbul--Gazanfer Aga Medrese

Galata Tower and surrounding photos were added to our archive.