Fodor's Expert Review Alaaddin Camii
Editor's Note: This property is currently undergoing renovations.
Completed in 1220, this graceful mosque crowning Alaaddin Tepesi (Alaaddin Hill) was one of the most important for Seljuk sultans, many of whom are entombed within the complex. The oblong layout shows the influence of Arab architecture, while the timber ceiling is supported by a forest of marble columns and arches reused from Roman temples. An ebony minbar (pulpit), dating back to 1155, is beautifully carved with Seljuk motifs and inscriptions. The municipality has done much to improve the appearance of Alaaddin Tepesi in recent years. There are cafés near street level and the hill itself is a park, with landscaped flower gardens at the top. On the northern side are the scanty remains of the palace of Seljuk Sultan Kılıçarslan II.
