Yivli Minaret Mosque, Antalya (must see)

Yivli Minaret Mosque is a historical mosque in Antalya. The mosque's fluted minaret, which is decorated with dark blue tiles, is a landmark and symbol of the city. The mosque is located in the Antalya old town.

The mosque was first built in 1230 and fully reconstructed in 1373. The first building may have been a Byzantine church originally and may have been converted into a mosque around 1225-1227, during the reign of the Seljuk sultan Ala ad-Din Kay Qubadh I. The original mosque was destroyed in the 14th century and a new mosque was built which, with its six domes, is one of the oldest examples of multi-dome construction in Antalya.

Yivli Minaret is located behind the mosque of the same name and is a separate structure. A four-sided base supports a minaret composed of eight fluted sections, which enclose a series of 90 steps leading to the top. Its very beautiful blue and dark blue tiles draw one's attention to this landmark. The minaret was constructed between 1219 and 1236.

Today the building houses the Antalya Ethnographic Museum and contains clothing, kitchen utensils, embroidery, tapestries and looms, socks, sacks, kilims, ornaments, and nomadic tents.

Besides the famous minaret and mosque, the Yivli Minaret complex includes other notable structures, such as a building once used as a lodge for the Mevlevi Dervishes. Two domed tombs are also located on the grounds: the tomb of Zincirkıran Mehmet Bey was built in 1377, and another was built in 1502 as a memorial for Ayşe Hatun who was the consort of Sultan Bayezid II, and mother of the next sultan Selim I. A former Islamic seminary, Atabey Aramgan Medresseh has been restored to function as a bazaar.