Yivli Minaret Mosque

What makes it special

Eight half-cylinders of brick run the full 38 metres of the shaft, and that fluting gives the tower its name: yivli means fluted. Turquoise and dark blue tiles were laid in alternating rows, so the shaft reads as vertical stripes, and fragments of the glaze still show.

The tower went up under the Seljuk sultan Alaaddin Keykubat, whose inscription it still carries. It is Antalya's first Turkish building and now the city's emblem.

The mosque beside it was first built around 1230 over a ruined Byzantine church. Its prayer hall is covered by six domes in two rows, carried on twelve columns.

A recent restoration uncovered old water channels beneath the prayer hall, built to cool and warm the building with the seasons, and a glass section of floor now shows them.

Visiting

Outside on Kalekapısı Square, look up at the fluted shaft first. Then go in through the courtyard to the mosque, which stands just west of the tower.

At the door, take off your shoes and make sure your shoulders and knees are covered. Headscarves and wraparound skirts are usually available at the entrance for women who need them.

Inside, walk the hall under the domes and look up at the column capitals, which do not match because they came from older buildings. There is no ticket; a collection box by the door takes donations toward upkeep.

The Atabey Armağan Madrasah stands just east of the minaret. The Mevlevihane nearby is now a small museum, with three display cases of Mevlevi objects and costumes.

Tips

Each of the five daily prayers closes the mosque to visitors for about half an hour. If you arrive during one, wait in the square until the doors reopen. Photographs are fine in the hall outside prayer times, but put the camera away while a prayer is on.

Prayer times move through the year, so check the day's times in a prayer-times app before you plan the visit.