Buruciye Madrasa

Overview

On the wide City Square of Sivas, three Seljuk buildings stand within a few steps of each other: a perfectly balanced stone school, a gateway with two brick minarets and nothing behind it, and a medieval hospital where a sultan lies buried. At their center is the Buruciye Madrasa, a school of science founded in 1271 by a scholar from Iran.

The Story of the Buruciye Madrasa

A school for physics and astronomy

To begin with, the madrasa went up in 1271, under the Seljuk sultan Kaykhusraw III. Its founder, Muzaffer Burucerdi, in turn, came from Borujerd, near Hamadan in western Iran, and the school taught physics, chemistry and astronomy. Afterward, he found his last rest in his own building, where his tomb still stands.

The most balanced madrasa in Anatolia

Even though the architect is unknown, the plan follows old Turkic madrasas of Central Asia. Of all Anatolian madrasas, furthermore, it has the most regular symmetry, with four iwans around an open courtyard. For this reason, it is often called one of the best and most harmonious examples of Seljuk architecture in Anatolia.

What to See at the Buruciye Madrasa

The portal of the Buruciye Madrasa

First, study the main gate on the west side. There, inscriptions surround the deep portal niche, and its muqarnas hood is decorated with geometric patterns. On either side, likewise, two muqarnas windows and two fluted corner towers frame it.

The tomb of the founder

Next, look into the room to the left of the gate as well. Inside, in turn, the founder and his children lie in their sarcophagi. At one time, similarly, hexagonal tiles in blue and black covered all the walls, and parts of them survive, with an inscription band giving his full name below the tiled muqarnas. By contrast, the domed room on the right, with its mihrab (the niche that shows the direction of prayer), probably served as a small mosque.

The courtyard and reused columns

After that, step into the courtyard. All around it, porches rest on round columns about 2.7 meters (9 feet) high. Interestingly, the builders reused older columns, so some capitals are Corinthian and others carry Byzantine monograms.

Beside the Buruciye Madrasa

The Çifte Minareli Madrasa

Across the square, two tall brick minarets rise above a carved gate, yet almost nothing stands behind them. Thus, this is the Çifte Minareli, the Double Minaret Madrasa, built in 1271 or 1272 for Shams al-Din Juvayni, a vizier of the Ilkhanid Mongols, whose inscription still crowns the gate.

The Şifaiye Madrasa

Finally, visit the oldest of the three. Back in 1217, Sultan Kaykaus I, who loved Sivas, founded the Şifaiye, a hospital and a medical school. He chose to be buried here himself, so the complex also carries his name.

Tips for visiting the Buruciye Madrasa

How to Visit the Buruciye Madrasa

In practical terms, the madrasa stands on the City Square, Kent Meydanı, in the Eskikale quarter of central Sivas, with its main entrance on the west. Travelers on the Eastern Express also stop in Sivas on the way to Kars.

Afterward, walk to the turquoise minarets of the Gök Medrese, or drive to the carved portals of the Divriği Great Mosque. For more Seljuk schools, compare the Karatay Madrasa in Konya. To follow these buildings from Konya to Divriği, join our Turkey architecture tour in 8 days.