The Crown Gate Side Niches in Karamanoğlu Madrasahs

Abstract

In the architecture of the Anatolian Seljuk period and its innovative successor, the Principalities, front facade establishments; It consists of elements such as crown doors, windows, niches, moldings, buttresses, corner towers, gargoyles and minarets. Crown doors, which are located on the front facades of the buildings, which are given more importance than the other facades, become more prominent than other facade elements with their unique differences. In this study, our focus is the niches placed inside the side walls that delimit the main niche of the portals. Side niches resembling a portal or an mihrab in terms of form create a depth effect in the main niche. Recently, studies on special elemental subjects in addition to general structural subjects within the field of art history also reveal the artistic richness of Turkish-Islamic architecture. In this context, our study aims to reveal the general and distinctive features of the side niches, which are a special element in the portals, which are the structural elements of the Karamanoğlu Principality Madrasahs.