Yağıbasan Medresesi

Would you like to attend class in a school with a ceiling that opens to the sky? The Tokat and Niksar Yağıbasan Medresesi are exactly such fascinating places. In these very old schools, students learned important knowledge while gazing at the stars through an opening in the center of the ceiling.

^{Interior of the medrese (generated by artificial intelligence)}

Medreses were in fact similar to today’s universities. The Yağıbasan Medresesi is especially significant as one of the first schools established by the Turks in Anatolia. These buildings are treasures that demonstrate how highly education was valued.

^{Visual representing education (generated by artificial intelligence)}

These structures were built approximately 850 years ago during the time of the Danişmentliler. The medrese in Niksar was among the earliest places in Anatolia to offer medical education and train physicians. Graduates of these schools worked to bring healing to people.

^{Children receiving education (generated by artificial intelligence)}

The most remarkable feature of these medreses is the large opening in the center of their ceilings. Thanks to this opening, classrooms were illuminated by sunlight and kept cool by fresh air. In the past, this aperture ensured that the air inside remained constantly clean.

The “window” in the ceiling of the medrese in central Tokat measures 14 meters in width. At that time, when technology was far less advanced than today, engineers constructed these massive domes with extraordinary skill.

Exactly 868 years ago, in 1158, this magnificent school was built inside Niksar Castle. Imagine being a student in those days, sitting in this medrese, studying medical texts among its stone walls!

The Yağıbasan Medresesi tells us how deeply people in the past valued education and knowledge. Today, by visiting these historic structures, you can trace the footsteps of the past and explore the rich history of Anatolia.