The double room in front of the Türbe (mausoleum) of Seyit Battal Gazi, being under restoration.
This space is called ‘Orta Sofa’ (Middle hall) or ‘Türbedar Odası’ (room of the ‘Türbedar’ = head of the personnel taking care of the graves). The Türbe is placed to its west, and the mosque to its south.
On this picture, we are looking towards the mosque and his entrance; on the left lies the ‘Kesikbaşlar Türbesi’ (Grave of the beheaded people), which consists of an iwan-room built on top of a grave chamber.
An iwan (Persian & Turkish: ‘eyvān’) is a rectangular hall or space, usually vaulted, walled on three sides, with one end entirely open. This architectural form can be used for entrances, but also (as it is the case here) to create half open rooms looking out at a central space. The iwan as used in Anatolian Seljuk architecture was imported from Islamic Persia, but was invented much earlier and fully developed in Mesopotamia.
Correspondent: J.M.Criel, Antwerpen.
Sources: Leaflet of the Seyitgazi Külliyesi (1995) & Personal visits (1995 – 1996).