Museum of Wooden Artefacts & Stone Carving

Konya

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The İnce Minare Medresesi (Seminary of the Slender Minaret), now the Museum of Wooden Artefacts & Stone Carving, was built in 1264 for Seljuk vizier Sahip Ata. Inside, many of the carvings feature motifs similar to those used in tiles and ceramics. The Seljuks didn't heed Islam's traditional prohibition against human and animal images: there are images of birds (the Seljuk double-headed eagle, for example), humans, lions and leopards.

The octagonal minaret in turquoise relief outside is over 600 years old and gave the seminary its popular name. If it looks short, this is because the top was sliced off by lightning.

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