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A madrasa, traditional Islamic educational institution, believed to date back nearly 900 years has been found in the central Anatolian city of Kayseri after its remains were identified during an urban renewal project, local officials have said.
The traces of the Islamic school were found near the Melik Mehmed Gazi Tomb, located just south of the historic Kebir mosque, during a project carried out under the Surici Camikebir Urban Renewal Project.
Kayseri Mayor Memduh Buyukkilic told Anadolu Agency that the city has hosted many civilizations and also holds a notable place in Islamic history. As work was being carried out around the Cami Kebir area, he said crews came across what he described as an unexpected finding.
“While opening up its surroundings, we encountered a surprise. Right next to the tomb of Melik Mehmed Gazi, we uncovered traces and walls of a madrasa built in the tradition of a religious complex,” he said.
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The remains were discovered close to the tomb of Melik Mehmed Gazi, a ruler of the Danishmend dynasty who is regarded as one of the founders of Kayseri and an important figure in early Turkish-Islamic history in Anatolia. Officials also noted that the mosque he commissioned remains among the city’s most significant landmarks.
Buyukkilic said the municipality is set to carry out excavation and restoration in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, while also taking existing academic studies and historical documentation into account.
“Our aim is to revive this madrasa and bring a historical monument worthy of Kayseri to both our city and our country,” he said.
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