Şifaiye Madrasa, Sivas

Overview

On the City Square of Sivas, a long stone front with a deep portal hides a courtyard of arcades. This is the Şifaiye Madrasa, where, eight centuries ago, the sick of the Seljuk capital came to be healed.

The Story of the Şifaiye Madrasa

An inscription on the gate records that Sultan İzzeddin Keykâvus I had the building made in 1217 as a hospital. In 1768, it became a madrasa. During World War I, it served as a warehouse. It is one of the largest Seljuk hospitals in Anatolia. The sultan himself lies in a tomb inside, behind a front of turquoise and dark blue tiles.

What to See

It is a single-storey building of cut stone, with iwans and porticos around a central courtyard. First, stop at the tomb front with its tiles. Sit in the courtyard, where the old rooms now hold souvenir shops and a café.

How to Visit the Şifaiye Madrasa

Restoration began in 2007, and the building reopened in 2013. Across the square stand the Çifte Minareli Madrasa and the Buruciye Madrasa, and the Ulu Camii is a short walk away. We add the Şifaiye Madrasa to your walk through Sivas.

A Tomb, a Medical School and Seventy Shops

A second inscription on the facade, dated 1220, records that the south iwan was turned into a tomb for the sultan, and its dome rises on an octagonal drum faced with tile mosaic. The building’s endowment deed shows that it also served as a medical school. Its income came from seventy shops in Sivas, thirty in Ereğli and several villages, which paid for the care of the sick.

Would you like to explore Sivas with a local guide, from its Seljuk madrasas to Divriği? The Şifaiye is one of the Seljuk buildings on our Sivas and Divriği tour; read our Sivas guide for the rest of the province.