The Tree of Life – Portal of Ince Minareli Madrasa

[Konya, 1258 – Seljuk]



The Seljuk sultans constructed mosques, madrasas (religious schools) and hospitals, splendid palaces and defensive walls that transformed the medieval Anatolia into symbols of their sovereignty.  A feature that characterized their architecture was the monumental portal, the most striking and innovative contribution of the Seljuks to Anatolian architecture.  Portals were decorated elaborately with complex geometric designs and infinitely repeating star motifs.  Over time floral motifs began to take precedent over traditional geometric designs.  The Tree of Life is one of the most widespread of all symbolic motifs used throughout history.  In Turkish (Seljuk) mythology it symbolizes heaven, fertility, and the relationship between life and the universe.  Since the roots of trees are underground, their trunks above ground, and their leaves in the sky, they link the three levels of the universe; the way in which they reach up into the heavens to seek the sun gives them a mystic quality.