Yivli Minaret (Grooved Minaret)

The Yivli Minaret, known in Turkish as Yivli Minare and standing in the Kaleiçi district of central Antalya, is the city's most recognizable architectural symbol and one of the finest examples of Seljuk religious architecture in Turkey. Built in approximately 1230 under the patronage of the Seljuk Sultan Alaeddin Keykubad I, the minaret rises 38 meters from a square stone base and is distinguished by its cylindrical shaft, which is divided into eight vertical sections by deep grooves or ribs—the feature that gives it both its Turkish name and its English translation. The original surface cladding of the ribs was turquoise glazed brick, and traces of this distinctive tilework remain visible today, making the minaret visually unique among medieval towers in the region. The structure stands on the site of a Byzantine church that was converted to a mosque following the Seljuk conquest of the city, and the square base incorporates Byzantine stonework. The adjacent mosque complex, the Ulu Camii, dates from later periods and is still in active use. The minaret is best viewed from the courtyard of the mosque and from the surrounding bazaar area, where souvenir shops and tea houses occupy historic covered passages. The nearby clock tower and Cumhuriyet Square beyond the old city walls frame the minaret in views from the western approaches to Kaleiçi. Evening artificial lighting makes the tower atmospheric at night. Visits to the minaret are typically incorporated into a broader walking tour of Kaleiçi and take 20 to 30 minutes.