Our Foundation had started in July 2007 working on an inventory of the Seljuk buildings in Anatolia. The outputs of the project, supported by the Turkish Cultural Foundation, were made publicly accessible through a web site launched in 2009 with an exquisitely rich content.
It is estimated that the Anatolian Seljuks built, between the years 1077-1308, 1,200 fortresses, hammams, hospitals, caravansarais and other various civil public buildings. Some of these buildings, which reveal forty different architectural styles, still remain intact while part of them are in ruins. The Project aimed to create an inventory of these buildings, and to compile the relevant data in a publicly accessible database on the website www.anadoluselcuklumimarisi.com
For the purpose of the project, covering archival and field work, work started in July 2009 to create index cards for each building from the Anatolian Seljuk era found in 45 Anatolian cities to be entered in the database. The total number of index cards entered in the database have reached over 750. In addition to the building index cards, also the family tree of the Anatolian Seljuk dynasty and historical data about the Anatolian Turkish States were entered in the database. As another important component of the project, a bibliography has been prepared compiling books, periodicals, academic works and theses on the art, architecture and history of the Anatolian Seljuk era, which is accessible through the project’s website.
Although the primary purpose of the project was to create an architectural inventory, our website also contains articles about architectural decorative elements such as stonemasonry, ceramic tile and plaster works which are inseparable parts of architecture. A glossary is also accessible here to help researchers visiting the website.
Anatolian Seljuk Monuments Inventory Project is currently ongoing through collection and entry in the system of the data in connection with architectural, artistic and cultural wealth of the period in question. Furthermore, announcements of exhibitions, conferences, panel discussions and scientific activities are published in our website.