Kubadabad Palace
Encyclopedia
Kubadabad Palace or Kubad Abad Palace refers to a complex of summer residences built for the sultan and his court during the reign of the sultan of the Sultanate of Rum
Kayqubad I (1220–1236). The palace is located on the southwestern shores of Lake Beyşehir
in south-west Central Anatolia, Turkey
, just over 100 kilometers west of the Seljuq capital and present-day province seat of Konya
.
, who wrote that toward the end of his reign Kayqubad himself drew up plans for the palace and assigned responsibility for their completion to his vizier Sa'd al-Din Köpek
. The palace remains were first discovered in 1949 and subsequently excavated, first in the 1960s by German archaeologist Katharina Otto-Dorn and more recently by a team from Ankara University
led by Rüçhan Arık.
The complex comprises sixteen buildings, including two palaces, the larger of which is known as the Great Palace and measures fifty by thirty-five meters. Among its features are a game park and a small wooden dockyard that replicates the Tersane at Alanya
. The Great Palace is an asymmetrical structure incorporating a courtyard, guest rooms, harem and eyvan
. It is considered remarkable for its ornate figural tiles and also for its innovative layout: modeled on the caravansarai, it reflects a break with the traditional pavilion
structure that characterizes earlier palaces.
Kubadabad Palace is unusual for a Seljuq palace in that its location is so far from a fortified town, in contrast to palaces at Konya and Kayseri
. Protection would seem to have been provided by a fortress complex located on the nearby island of Kız Kalesi. Other ruins in the area include the important Hittite
site of Eflatunpınar
.
. Painted with an underglaze
of blue, purple, turquoise and green, the series consists of white, star-shaped figural panels alternating with turquoise crosses. Similar tiling has also been found on the Roman theater at Aspendos
, which Kayqubad had converted to a palace. The subjects of the tiles include humans and animals both real and fantastic. Of particular interest are two tiles thought to show a portrait of the sultan and another showing a double-headed eagle inscribed “al-sultān.” The same symbols appear on other works sponsored by Kayqubad, such as the city walls of Konya.
Kayqubad I (1220–1236). The palace is located on the southwestern shores of Lake Beyşehir
in south-west Central Anatolia, Turkey
, just over 100 kilometers west of the Seljuq capital and present-day province seat of Konya
.
, who wrote that toward the end of his reign Kayqubad himself drew up plans for the palace and assigned responsibility for their completion to his vizier Sa'd al-Din Köpek
. The palace remains were first discovered in 1949 and subsequently excavated, first in the 1960s by German archaeologist Katharina Otto-Dorn and more recently by a team from Ankara University
led by Rüçhan Arık.
The complex comprises sixteen buildings, including two palaces, the larger of which is known as the Great Palace and measures fifty by thirty-five meters. Among its features are a game park and a small wooden dockyard that replicates the Tersane at Alanya
. The Great Palace is an asymmetrical structure incorporating a courtyard, guest rooms, harem and eyvan
. It is considered remarkable for its ornate figural tiles and also for its innovative layout: modeled on the caravansarai, it reflects a break with the traditional pavilion
structure that characterizes earlier palaces.
Kubadabad Palace is unusual for a Seljuq palace in that its location is so far from a fortified town, in contrast to palaces at Konya and Kayseri
. Protection would seem to have been provided by a fortress complex located on the nearby island of Kız Kalesi. Other ruins in the area include the important Hittite
site of Eflatunpınar
.
. Painted with an underglaze
of blue, purple, turquoise and green, the series consists of white, star-shaped figural panels alternating with turquoise crosses. Similar tiling has also been found on the Roman theater at Aspendos
, which Kayqubad had converted to a palace. The subjects of the tiles include humans and animals both real and fantastic. Of particular interest are two tiles thought to show a portrait of the sultan and another showing a double-headed eagle inscribed “al-sultān.” The same symbols appear on other works sponsored by Kayqubad, such as the city walls of Konya.
Kayqubad I (1220–1236). The palace is located on the southwestern shores of Lake Beyşehir
in south-west Central Anatolia, Turkey
, just over 100 kilometers west of the Seljuq capital and present-day province seat of Konya
.
, who wrote that toward the end of his reign Kayqubad himself drew up plans for the palace and assigned responsibility for their completion to his vizier Sa'd al-Din Köpek
. The palace remains were first discovered in 1949 and subsequently excavated, first in the 1960s by German archaeologist Katharina Otto-Dorn and more recently by a team from Ankara University
led by Rüçhan Arık.
The complex comprises sixteen buildings, including two palaces, the larger of which is known as the Great Palace and measures fifty by thirty-five meters. Among its features are a game park and a small wooden dockyard that replicates the Tersane at Alanya
. The Great Palace is an asymmetrical structure incorporating a courtyard, guest rooms, harem and eyvan
. It is considered remarkable for its ornate figural tiles and also for its innovative layout: modeled on the caravansarai, it reflects a break with the traditional pavilion
structure that characterizes earlier palaces.
Kubadabad Palace is unusual for a Seljuq palace in that its location is so far from a fortified town, in contrast to palaces at Konya and Kayseri
. Protection would seem to have been provided by a fortress complex located on the nearby island of Kız Kalesi. Other ruins in the area include the important Hittite
site of Eflatunpınar
.
. Painted with an underglaze
of blue, purple, turquoise and green, the series consists of white, star-shaped figural panels alternating with turquoise crosses. Similar tiling has also been found on the Roman theater at Aspendos
, which Kayqubad had converted to a palace. The subjects of the tiles include humans and animals both real and fantastic. Of particular interest are two tiles thought to show a portrait of the sultan and another showing a double-headed eagle inscribed “al-sultān.” The same symbols appear on other works sponsored by Kayqubad, such as the city walls of Konya.
Sultanate of Rûm
The Sultanate of Rum , also known as the Anatolian Seljuk State , was a Turkic state centered in in Anatolia, with capitals first at İznik and then at Konya. Since the court of the sultanate was highly mobile, cities like Kayseri and Sivas also functioned at times as capitals...
Kayqubad I (1220–1236). The palace is located on the southwestern shores of Lake Beyşehir
Lake Beysehir
Lake Beyşehir is a large freshwater lake in Isparta and Konya provinces, southwestern part of Turkey. It is located at around . It has an area of 650.00 km² and is 45 km long and 20 km wide. It carries the same name as the principal urban center of its region, Beyşehir.Water level...
in south-west Central Anatolia, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, just over 100 kilometers west of the Seljuq capital and present-day province seat of Konya
Konya
Konya is a city in the Central Anatolia Region of Turkey. The metropolitan area in the entire Konya Province had a population of 1,036,027 as of 2010, making the city seventh most populous in Turkey.-Etymology:...
.
The Palace
The site was formerly only known from the descriptions of the contemporary historian Ibn BibiIbn Bibi
Ibn Bibi is author of the primary source for the history of the Seljuq Sultanate of Rum during the 13th century. He served as head of the chancellery of the Sultanate in Konya and reported on contemporary events....
, who wrote that toward the end of his reign Kayqubad himself drew up plans for the palace and assigned responsibility for their completion to his vizier Sa'd al-Din Köpek
Sa'd al-Din Köpek
Sa’d al-Din Köpek was a court administrator under two 13th century Seljuq Sultans of Rum.He served as Master of the Hunt and Minister of Works under Kayqubad I and, in the latter capacity, supervised the construction of Kubadabad Palace on the shore of Lake Beyşehir.As advisor to Kayqubad’s...
. The palace remains were first discovered in 1949 and subsequently excavated, first in the 1960s by German archaeologist Katharina Otto-Dorn and more recently by a team from Ankara University
Ankara University
Ankara University is a public university in Ankara, the capital city of Turkey. It was the first higher education institution founded in the Turkish Republic....
led by Rüçhan Arık.
The complex comprises sixteen buildings, including two palaces, the larger of which is known as the Great Palace and measures fifty by thirty-five meters. Among its features are a game park and a small wooden dockyard that replicates the Tersane at Alanya
Alanya
Alanya , formerly Alaiye, is a beach resort city and a component district of Antalya Province in the Mediterranean Region of Turkey, from the city of Antalya. On the southern coast of Turkey, the district has an area of 1,598.51 km2 and 248,286 inhabitants...
. The Great Palace is an asymmetrical structure incorporating a courtyard, guest rooms, harem and eyvan
Iwan
An iwan is a rectangular hall or space, usually vaulted, walled on three sides, with one end entirely open. The formal gateway to the iwan is called pishtaq, a Persian term for a portal projecting from the facade of a building, usually decorated with calligraphy bands, glazed tilework, and...
. It is considered remarkable for its ornate figural tiles and also for its innovative layout: modeled on the caravansarai, it reflects a break with the traditional pavilion
Pavilion (structure)
In architecture a pavilion has two main meanings.-Free-standing structure:Pavilion may refer to a free-standing structure sited a short distance from a main residence, whose architecture makes it an object of pleasure. Large or small, there is usually a connection with relaxation and pleasure in...
structure that characterizes earlier palaces.
Kubadabad Palace is unusual for a Seljuq palace in that its location is so far from a fortified town, in contrast to palaces at Konya and Kayseri
Kayseri
Kayseri is a large and industrialized city in Central Anatolia, Turkey. It is the seat of Kayseri Province. The city of Kayseri, as defined by the boundaries of Kayseri Metropolitan Municipality, is structurally composed of five metropolitan districts, the two core districts of Kocasinan and...
. Protection would seem to have been provided by a fortress complex located on the nearby island of Kız Kalesi. Other ruins in the area include the important Hittite
Hittites
The Hittites were a Bronze Age people of Anatolia.They established a kingdom centered at Hattusa in north-central Anatolia c. the 18th century BC. The Hittite empire reached its height c...
site of Eflatunpınar
Eflatunpinar
Eflatun Pınar is the name given to a spring which rises up from the ground, creating an oasis and fountain. The spring lies 80 miles west of Konya, and drains into Lake Beyşehir in Anatolian peninsula at ancient Pisidia region. In ancient times a small temple was built here to honor one of the...
.
Tiles
Excavations at Kubadabad Palace uncovered a magnificent series of polychrome ceramic tiles now housed in Konya’s Karatay MuseumKaratay Medrese
Karatay Medrese is a medrese, meaning a school with a frequently but not absolutely religious focus, built in Konya, Turkey, in 1251 by the Emir of the city Celaleddin Karatay, serving the Seljuk sultan....
. Painted with an underglaze
Underglaze
Underglaze is a method of decorating ceramic articles, the decoration is applied to the surface before it is glazed. Because the glaze will subsequently cover it such decoration is completely durable, but because the subsequent glost firing is at a higher temperature than used in on-glaze...
of blue, purple, turquoise and green, the series consists of white, star-shaped figural panels alternating with turquoise crosses. Similar tiling has also been found on the Roman theater at Aspendos
Aspendos
Aspendos or Aspendus was an ancient Greco-Roman city in Antalya province of Turkey. It is located northeast of central Serik.- History :...
, which Kayqubad had converted to a palace. The subjects of the tiles include humans and animals both real and fantastic. Of particular interest are two tiles thought to show a portrait of the sultan and another showing a double-headed eagle inscribed “al-sultān.” The same symbols appear on other works sponsored by Kayqubad, such as the city walls of Konya.
External links
Kubadabad Palace or Kubad Abad Palace refers to a complex of summer residences built for the sultan and his court during the reign of the sultan of the Sultanate of RumSultanate of Rûm
The Sultanate of Rum , also known as the Anatolian Seljuk State , was a Turkic state centered in in Anatolia, with capitals first at İznik and then at Konya. Since the court of the sultanate was highly mobile, cities like Kayseri and Sivas also functioned at times as capitals...
Kayqubad I (1220–1236). The palace is located on the southwestern shores of Lake Beyşehir
Lake Beysehir
Lake Beyşehir is a large freshwater lake in Isparta and Konya provinces, southwestern part of Turkey. It is located at around . It has an area of 650.00 km² and is 45 km long and 20 km wide. It carries the same name as the principal urban center of its region, Beyşehir.Water level...
in south-west Central Anatolia, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, just over 100 kilometers west of the Seljuq capital and present-day province seat of Konya
Konya
Konya is a city in the Central Anatolia Region of Turkey. The metropolitan area in the entire Konya Province had a population of 1,036,027 as of 2010, making the city seventh most populous in Turkey.-Etymology:...
.
The Palace
The site was formerly only known from the descriptions of the contemporary historian Ibn BibiIbn Bibi
Ibn Bibi is author of the primary source for the history of the Seljuq Sultanate of Rum during the 13th century. He served as head of the chancellery of the Sultanate in Konya and reported on contemporary events....
, who wrote that toward the end of his reign Kayqubad himself drew up plans for the palace and assigned responsibility for their completion to his vizier Sa'd al-Din Köpek
Sa'd al-Din Köpek
Sa’d al-Din Köpek was a court administrator under two 13th century Seljuq Sultans of Rum.He served as Master of the Hunt and Minister of Works under Kayqubad I and, in the latter capacity, supervised the construction of Kubadabad Palace on the shore of Lake Beyşehir.As advisor to Kayqubad’s...
. The palace remains were first discovered in 1949 and subsequently excavated, first in the 1960s by German archaeologist Katharina Otto-Dorn and more recently by a team from Ankara University
Ankara University
Ankara University is a public university in Ankara, the capital city of Turkey. It was the first higher education institution founded in the Turkish Republic....
led by Rüçhan Arık.
The complex comprises sixteen buildings, including two palaces, the larger of which is known as the Great Palace and measures fifty by thirty-five meters. Among its features are a game park and a small wooden dockyard that replicates the Tersane at Alanya
Alanya
Alanya , formerly Alaiye, is a beach resort city and a component district of Antalya Province in the Mediterranean Region of Turkey, from the city of Antalya. On the southern coast of Turkey, the district has an area of 1,598.51 km2 and 248,286 inhabitants...
. The Great Palace is an asymmetrical structure incorporating a courtyard, guest rooms, harem and eyvan
Iwan
An iwan is a rectangular hall or space, usually vaulted, walled on three sides, with one end entirely open. The formal gateway to the iwan is called pishtaq, a Persian term for a portal projecting from the facade of a building, usually decorated with calligraphy bands, glazed tilework, and...
. It is considered remarkable for its ornate figural tiles and also for its innovative layout: modeled on the caravansarai, it reflects a break with the traditional pavilion
Pavilion (structure)
In architecture a pavilion has two main meanings.-Free-standing structure:Pavilion may refer to a free-standing structure sited a short distance from a main residence, whose architecture makes it an object of pleasure. Large or small, there is usually a connection with relaxation and pleasure in...
structure that characterizes earlier palaces.
Kubadabad Palace is unusual for a Seljuq palace in that its location is so far from a fortified town, in contrast to palaces at Konya and Kayseri
Kayseri
Kayseri is a large and industrialized city in Central Anatolia, Turkey. It is the seat of Kayseri Province. The city of Kayseri, as defined by the boundaries of Kayseri Metropolitan Municipality, is structurally composed of five metropolitan districts, the two core districts of Kocasinan and...
. Protection would seem to have been provided by a fortress complex located on the nearby island of Kız Kalesi. Other ruins in the area include the important Hittite
Hittites
The Hittites were a Bronze Age people of Anatolia.They established a kingdom centered at Hattusa in north-central Anatolia c. the 18th century BC. The Hittite empire reached its height c...
site of Eflatunpınar
Eflatunpinar
Eflatun Pınar is the name given to a spring which rises up from the ground, creating an oasis and fountain. The spring lies 80 miles west of Konya, and drains into Lake Beyşehir in Anatolian peninsula at ancient Pisidia region. In ancient times a small temple was built here to honor one of the...
.
Tiles
Excavations at Kubadabad Palace uncovered a magnificent series of polychrome ceramic tiles now housed in Konya’s Karatay MuseumKaratay Medrese
Karatay Medrese is a medrese, meaning a school with a frequently but not absolutely religious focus, built in Konya, Turkey, in 1251 by the Emir of the city Celaleddin Karatay, serving the Seljuk sultan....
. Painted with an underglaze
Underglaze
Underglaze is a method of decorating ceramic articles, the decoration is applied to the surface before it is glazed. Because the glaze will subsequently cover it such decoration is completely durable, but because the subsequent glost firing is at a higher temperature than used in on-glaze...
of blue, purple, turquoise and green, the series consists of white, star-shaped figural panels alternating with turquoise crosses. Similar tiling has also been found on the Roman theater at Aspendos
Aspendos
Aspendos or Aspendus was an ancient Greco-Roman city in Antalya province of Turkey. It is located northeast of central Serik.- History :...
, which Kayqubad had converted to a palace. The subjects of the tiles include humans and animals both real and fantastic. Of particular interest are two tiles thought to show a portrait of the sultan and another showing a double-headed eagle inscribed “al-sultān.” The same symbols appear on other works sponsored by Kayqubad, such as the city walls of Konya.
Additional sources
and
External links
Kubadabad Palace or Kubad Abad Palace refers to a complex of summer residences built for the sultan and his court during the reign of the sultan of the Sultanate of RumSultanate of Rûm
The Sultanate of Rum , also known as the Anatolian Seljuk State , was a Turkic state centered in in Anatolia, with capitals first at İznik and then at Konya. Since the court of the sultanate was highly mobile, cities like Kayseri and Sivas also functioned at times as capitals...
Kayqubad I (1220–1236). The palace is located on the southwestern shores of Lake Beyşehir
Lake Beysehir
Lake Beyşehir is a large freshwater lake in Isparta and Konya provinces, southwestern part of Turkey. It is located at around . It has an area of 650.00 km² and is 45 km long and 20 km wide. It carries the same name as the principal urban center of its region, Beyşehir.Water level...
in south-west Central Anatolia, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, just over 100 kilometers west of the Seljuq capital and present-day province seat of Konya
Konya
Konya is a city in the Central Anatolia Region of Turkey. The metropolitan area in the entire Konya Province had a population of 1,036,027 as of 2010, making the city seventh most populous in Turkey.-Etymology:...
.
The Palace
The site was formerly only known from the descriptions of the contemporary historian Ibn BibiIbn Bibi
Ibn Bibi is author of the primary source for the history of the Seljuq Sultanate of Rum during the 13th century. He served as head of the chancellery of the Sultanate in Konya and reported on contemporary events....
, who wrote that toward the end of his reign Kayqubad himself drew up plans for the palace and assigned responsibility for their completion to his vizier Sa'd al-Din Köpek
Sa'd al-Din Köpek
Sa’d al-Din Köpek was a court administrator under two 13th century Seljuq Sultans of Rum.He served as Master of the Hunt and Minister of Works under Kayqubad I and, in the latter capacity, supervised the construction of Kubadabad Palace on the shore of Lake Beyşehir.As advisor to Kayqubad’s...
. The palace remains were first discovered in 1949 and subsequently excavated, first in the 1960s by German archaeologist Katharina Otto-Dorn and more recently by a team from Ankara University
Ankara University
Ankara University is a public university in Ankara, the capital city of Turkey. It was the first higher education institution founded in the Turkish Republic....
led by Rüçhan Arık.
The complex comprises sixteen buildings, including two palaces, the larger of which is known as the Great Palace and measures fifty by thirty-five meters. Among its features are a game park and a small wooden dockyard that replicates the Tersane at Alanya
Alanya
Alanya , formerly Alaiye, is a beach resort city and a component district of Antalya Province in the Mediterranean Region of Turkey, from the city of Antalya. On the southern coast of Turkey, the district has an area of 1,598.51 km2 and 248,286 inhabitants...
. The Great Palace is an asymmetrical structure incorporating a courtyard, guest rooms, harem and eyvan
Iwan
An iwan is a rectangular hall or space, usually vaulted, walled on three sides, with one end entirely open. The formal gateway to the iwan is called pishtaq, a Persian term for a portal projecting from the facade of a building, usually decorated with calligraphy bands, glazed tilework, and...
. It is considered remarkable for its ornate figural tiles and also for its innovative layout: modeled on the caravansarai, it reflects a break with the traditional pavilion
Pavilion (structure)
In architecture a pavilion has two main meanings.-Free-standing structure:Pavilion may refer to a free-standing structure sited a short distance from a main residence, whose architecture makes it an object of pleasure. Large or small, there is usually a connection with relaxation and pleasure in...
structure that characterizes earlier palaces.
Kubadabad Palace is unusual for a Seljuq palace in that its location is so far from a fortified town, in contrast to palaces at Konya and Kayseri
Kayseri
Kayseri is a large and industrialized city in Central Anatolia, Turkey. It is the seat of Kayseri Province. The city of Kayseri, as defined by the boundaries of Kayseri Metropolitan Municipality, is structurally composed of five metropolitan districts, the two core districts of Kocasinan and...
. Protection would seem to have been provided by a fortress complex located on the nearby island of Kız Kalesi. Other ruins in the area include the important Hittite
Hittites
The Hittites were a Bronze Age people of Anatolia.They established a kingdom centered at Hattusa in north-central Anatolia c. the 18th century BC. The Hittite empire reached its height c...
site of Eflatunpınar
Eflatunpinar
Eflatun Pınar is the name given to a spring which rises up from the ground, creating an oasis and fountain. The spring lies 80 miles west of Konya, and drains into Lake Beyşehir in Anatolian peninsula at ancient Pisidia region. In ancient times a small temple was built here to honor one of the...
.
Tiles
Excavations at Kubadabad Palace uncovered a magnificent series of polychrome ceramic tiles now housed in Konya’s Karatay MuseumKaratay Medrese
Karatay Medrese is a medrese, meaning a school with a frequently but not absolutely religious focus, built in Konya, Turkey, in 1251 by the Emir of the city Celaleddin Karatay, serving the Seljuk sultan....
. Painted with an underglaze
Underglaze
Underglaze is a method of decorating ceramic articles, the decoration is applied to the surface before it is glazed. Because the glaze will subsequently cover it such decoration is completely durable, but because the subsequent glost firing is at a higher temperature than used in on-glaze...
of blue, purple, turquoise and green, the series consists of white, star-shaped figural panels alternating with turquoise crosses. Similar tiling has also been found on the Roman theater at Aspendos
Aspendos
Aspendos or Aspendus was an ancient Greco-Roman city in Antalya province of Turkey. It is located northeast of central Serik.- History :...
, which Kayqubad had converted to a palace. The subjects of the tiles include humans and animals both real and fantastic. Of particular interest are two tiles thought to show a portrait of the sultan and another showing a double-headed eagle inscribed “al-sultān.” The same symbols appear on other works sponsored by Kayqubad, such as the city walls of Konya.
Additional sources
and