The courtyard of the museum.

This medrese was planned to be a two-storey building, but due to the premature death of Mehmet I, the building activity on the school/college was ended in 1419, with only the ground floor finished. It is named ‘Yeşil Medresesi’ (because it is part of the Yeşil Külliyesi/Complex) or also ‘Sultaniye Medresesi’ (= Sultan’s College).
It is a rectangular building (40 x 38 m) with 18 small rooms placed in U-shape around a central open courtyard with a gallery. There is a rectangular extension (17 x 12½ m) on the South side: this is the usual ‘dershane’ (classroom), which is covered by a circular dome. The entrance lies in the middle of the northern facade.
The medrese was restored a lot: 1572 – 1583 – 1617 - 1670 – 1683 – 1742 – 1767 – 1770 – 1775 – 1825 – 1974/75 (to mention only the important repairs…).

On the picture: A section of the arched gallery that runs in U-shape around the inner courtyard (West, North and East) and the ‘dershane’ (classroom), which closes the courtyard on its south side. Originally, the large arch was open, and the ‘dershane’ was an iwan-room (10 x 10 m); the open arch got closed due to museum requirements.

Correspondent: J.M.Criel, Antwerpen.
Sources: ‘Vakıf Abideler ve eski Eserler III’ - Vakıflar Genel Müdürlüğü, Ankara 1983
& Website of ‘mimarlikmuzesi.org’ .