Cacabey Madrasa

Among the important historical structures in Kırşehir, the Cacabey Astronomy Madrasa (Cacabey Gökbilim Medresesi) was built by Nureddin Jibril bin Cacabey, the Governor of Kırşehir, in 1272. The madrasa offered studies in mathematics, astronomy and science. The Cacabey Astronomy Madrasa attracts attention due to its unique architecture, featuring internal colonnettes representing the planets within the solar system, an observation shaft, a lightning torch and a 21-meter-high observation tower. It was one of the first centres to offer education in astronomy, and may even have been the most important of such centres. The three colonnettes on the exterior of the madrasa are believed to represent the firing and launching positions of a rocket. The figures engraved on the crown gate of the madrasa are believed to symbolize the moon and the sun, while comments on the circular shapes on the right and left lower corner of the pediment illustrate the equatorial line and the skew of the axis. The Madrasa, also the site of Cacabey’s tomb, is used as a mosque today. It is called the Cıncıklı (Glassy) Mosque (Cıncıklı Cami) by local residents. In 2014, the Cacabey Astronomy Madrasa was included in the UNESCO Temporary World Heritage List under Anatolian Seljuk madrasas.