Aksaray Red Mosque: An Anatolian Seljuk Mosque and Leaning Minaret
Site at a Glance
- Rating
- 4.6
- Popularity
- Low
- Country
- Turkey
- Primary era
- Medieval
- Eras represented
- Medieval
- Civilizations
- Seljuk
- Site type
- Religious
- Remains
- Mosque
History
Aksaray Red Mosque is an Anatolian Seljuk mosque in Aksaray, Turkey, associated with the Seljuk Sultanate of Rum, the medieval Seljuk state that ruled much of Anatolia. Its construction and commissioning are dated to 1221–1237, during the reign of Alaeddin Keykubad. The monument is also known as the Red Minaret Mosque, the Leaning Minaret, and Eğri Minaret.
The mosque beside the minaret was built later than the minaret. The minaret takes its best-known name from its red-brick construction. Its cylindrical shaft rises from a square base, while a thin molding divides the shaft into two sections. Zigzag patterns decorate the lower section, and blue and green tile mosaics cover the upper section.
By 1973, the minaret was at risk of collapse. It was reinforced with steel ropes that year, preserving the leaning structure and its distinctive Seljuk-era appearance.
