# Yivli Minaret, Antalya > The Yivli Minaret is Antalya’s emblem: a fluted red-brick Seljuk minaret from the 13th century, about 38 m tall, at the top of the Kaleiçi old town, two minutes from the Clock Tower. It’s free — the minaret is outdoors, the mosque opens outside prayer times and the dervish-lodge museum next door is open daily. Allow 20–30 minutes. Web page: https://yesgo.io/turkey/antalya/yivli-minaret - City: [Antalya](https://yesgo.io/turkey/antalya), Turkey - YesGo score: 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) - Time on site: 20 min - Opening hours: Minaret: outside, any time; mosque: outside prayer times; Mevlevihane museum: daily, 1 November–30 April 8:30–17:30 - With kids: Fine with kids - Entry: Free — minaret, mosque and Mevlevihane museum - Mevlevihane museum: Daily; 1 November–30 April 8:30–17:30, last entry 17:00; free - Mosque: Open outside prayer times; Friday midday is the main weekly prayer - Climbing the minaret: Not open to visitors — you see it from outside - Time needed: 20–30 minutes; about an hour with the museum - Getting there: Heritage tram T2 to Kalekapısı or AntRay T1 to İsmetpaşa, then a 2–3-minute walk - Address: Cumhuriyet Caddesi 55, Kaleiçi, Muratpaşa - Coordinates: 36.88639, 30.70444 - Facts checked: 30.10.2026 ## Key facts - **1220–1237** — built under the Seljuk Sultan Alaeddin Keykubad I, named in the inscription on its west side (source: KÜRE encyclopedia; English Wikipedia; Anadolu Agency) - **≈ 38 m** — tall — visible from most of central Antalya (source: English and Turkish Wikipedia; Anadolu Agency (KÜRE and Türkiye newspaper give about 30 m)) - **8 flutes** — of red brick make up the shaft — yivli means “fluted” in Turkish (source: English Wikipedia; Anadolu Agency) - **1373** — the present mosque built by Emir Mehmed Bey of the Hamidid dynasty; architect Balaban et-Tavaşi (source: KÜRE encyclopedia; Türkiye newspaper) - **6 domes** — on 12 columns, many reused from Roman and Byzantine buildings (source: English Wikipedia; Türkiye newspaper) - **90 steps** — lead up inside the minaret to the muezzin’s balcony (source: Turkish Wikipedia; KÜRE encyclopedia) - **Turquoise tiles** — once covered the brick; fragments are still visible (source: English Wikipedia; Anadolu Agency) - **1954** — the top above the balcony was rebuilt after a fire (source: KÜRE encyclopedia; Türkiye newspaper) - **Until 1972** — the mosque and its courtyard housed the city museum (source: KÜRE encyclopedia; Türkiye newspaper) - **1377** — the tomb of Zincirkıran Mehmed Bey built in the upper garden (source: KÜRE encyclopedia; Turkish Wikipedia; Turkish Ministry of Culture) - **2016** — the complex joined UNESCO’s World Heritage Tentative List (source: Anadolu Agency; English Wikipedia) ## Is there an entrance fee? No. The minaret stands in the open and costs nothing to see, the mosque welcomes visitors **free of charge outside prayer times**, and the Mevlevihane museum next door is free too, according to the Turkish Ministry of Culture. The museum is open daily; from 1 November to 30 April its hours are 8:30–17:30, with last entry at 17:00. There is no ticket desk for the mosque — just leave your shoes at the door. A donation box is there if you want to use it. > **You can’t climb the minaret** There’s a 90-step staircase inside, but it’s a working one leading to the muezzin’s balcony. A few guides mention climbing it; we found no confirmation, so plan to admire it from below. For a view over the harbour and mountains, use the terraces by Cumhuriyet Square just above. ## What is the Yivli Minaret? It’s the city’s signature landmark — a **fluted red-brick minaret** on a heavy stone base, built in the early 13th century under the Seljuk Sultan Alaeddin Keykubad I, not long after the Seljuks took Antalya in 1216. The shaft is made of eight half-round flutes and was once clad in turquoise and dark-blue tiles. The minaret is the oldest piece of a small complex. Beside it is the mosque — called Yivli Minare, Alaeddin or Ulu Camii — rebuilt with six domes in 1373. Around them are a former Mevlevi dervish lodge, two tombs, the remains of a madrasa and a bathhouse. The whole group has been on UNESCO’s Tentative List since 2016. ## Is the Yivli Minaret worth visiting? Yes, as a short stop — and it’s hard to miss anyway. It sits right where most people enter [Kaleiçi](https://yesgo.io/turkey/antalya/kaleici), next to the tram, so it costs you nothing but 20–30 minutes. The brickwork, the domes and the quiet dervish lodge make a good first taste of the old town. It isn’t a half-day sight, though. Don’t travel in from Kemer or Belek just for the minaret: combine it with a walk down to the harbour, [Hadrian’s Gate](https://yesgo.io/turkey/antalya/antalya-hadrians-gate) and sunset at [Hıdırlık Tower](https://yesgo.io/turkey/antalya/hidirlik-tower). The best light is early morning or late afternoon, when the brick glows red. At midday in summer the square is hot and short on shade. After dark the minaret is floodlit. ## What to see at the complex - **The minaret itself** — stand at the base and look up for the eight flutes, the niches and the last scraps of turquoise tile. - **The six-domed mosque** — reused columns with classical capitals, and a glass floor by the entrance over old water channels found in the 2007–2010 restoration. - **The Mevlevihane museum** — the former lodge of the whirling dervishes: the domed ceremony hall, the cells, robes and objects of the order. - **Two tombs** in the garden above the mosque: Zincirkıran Mehmed Bey (1377) and Nigar Hatun, mother of Prince Korkut. - **The Atabey Armağan madrasa portal** — only the carved gateway survives of the 1239 building. - **The view from Cumhuriyet Square** — the minaret over the rooftops with the harbour and mountains behind. ## A short history An inscription in the niches on the west side names **Sultan Alaeddin Keykubad I**, who ruled from 1220 to 1237. Encyclopedias date the first mosque to around 1230, probably on the site of a ruined Byzantine church; scholars think its west wall is a church survival, which is why the mihrab sits slightly off the direction of Mecca. That mosque fell into decay, and in 1373 Emir Mehmed Bey of the Hamidid principality built the present one — his name and that of the architect, Balaban et-Tavaşi, are carved over the east door. The top of the minaret burned and was rebuilt in 1954. Until 1972 the mosque housed the Antalya Museum; today it is a working mosque again. > **Mosque dress code** Cover shoulders and knees; women need a headscarf, and shoes come off at the door. Don’t go in during prayers, and skip Friday around midday, when the main weekly prayer fills the hall. No dress code applies outside or in the museum. ## Prayer times today Prayer times follow the method of Türkiye’s Presidency of Religious Affairs. Visitors are kept out during prayers: come back 30–40 minutes after one starts. The minaret outside and the Mevlevihane museum aren’t affected. Today's prayer times are on the web page: https://yesgo.io/turkey/antalya/yivli-minaret ## How to get to the Yivli Minaret 1. Take the heritage tram T2 to **Kalekapısı**, or the AntRay tram T1 to **İsmetpaşa**. Pay with a contactless bank card or an Antalyakart. 2. Walk to the **Clock Tower** on Kalekapısı Square — right by the T2 stop, about 2 minutes from T1. 3. Head west from the tower along Cumhuriyet Caddesi; after 2–3 minutes the complex is on your left, just below street level. You’ll see the minaret long before you get there. 4. From the airport, T1 runs from Terminal 1 to İsmetpaşa in about 50 minutes. Terminal 2 has no tram — take a taxi or transfer, about 25–30 minutes in light traffic. 5. Carry on downhill through Kaleiçi to the harbour, or walk 10 minutes east to Hadrian’s Gate. ## Before you go: checklist - [ ] Scarf and covered shoulders, if I’m going into the mosque - [ ] Checked prayer times; it isn’t Friday midday - [ ] Contactless card or Antalyakart for the tram - [ ] Water and a hat — little shade on the square in summer - [ ] Time for the museum before last entry - [ ] Next stop planned — down to the harbour ## Yivli Minaret vs Hadrian’s Gate vs Hıdırlık Tower | | Yivli Minaret | Hadrian’s Gate | Hıdırlık Tower | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | What it is | 13th-century Seljuk minaret and mosque | 2nd-century Roman triumphal gate | Round Roman tower above the sea | | Where | North edge of Kaleiçi, by the Clock Tower | East edge of Kaleiçi | South tip, Karaalioğlu Park | | Entry | Free | Free | Free, no access inside | | Time needed | 20–30 min | ≈ 15 min | 20–30 min | | Best time | Morning or evening | Evening, floodlit | Sunset | All three are Antalya icons on one old-town walk. Start at the minaret by the tram and finish with sunset at Hıdırlık Tower. ## Antalya’s historic sights compared Every historic sight in Antalya rated by YesGo. - [Hadrian's Gate](https://yesgo.io/turkey/antalya/antalya-hadrians-gate) — YesGo score 48/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · Free - [Yivli Minaret](https://yesgo.io/turkey/antalya/yivli-minaret) — YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · Free - [Hıdırlık Tower](https://yesgo.io/turkey/antalya/hidirlik-tower) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · Free, outside only - [Kaleiçi](https://yesgo.io/turkey/antalya/kaleici) — YesGo score 40/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · Free, open 24/7 - [Antalya Museum](https://yesgo.io/turkey/antalya/antalya-museum) — YesGo score 35/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · Closed: demolished, new one being built - [Perge](https://yesgo.io/turkey/antalya/perge) — YesGo score 26/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · About €11 for foreign visitors - [Aspendos](https://yesgo.io/turkey/antalya/aspendos) — YesGo score 22/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · €15 for foreigners, checking - [Termessos](https://yesgo.io/turkey/antalya/termessos) — YesGo score 21/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · Paid, price being verified ## The old town in half a day The minaret by the tram, the Roman gate, the lanes and harbour, then sunset at Hıdırlık Tower. 1. [Yivli Minaret](https://yesgo.io/turkey/antalya/yivli-minaret) — YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · Free 2. [Hadrian's Gate](https://yesgo.io/turkey/antalya/antalya-hadrians-gate) — YesGo score 48/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · Free 3. [Kaleiçi](https://yesgo.io/turkey/antalya/kaleici) — YesGo score 40/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · Free, open 24/7 4. [Hıdırlık Tower](https://yesgo.io/turkey/antalya/hidirlik-tower) — YesGo score 44/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 30 min · Free, outside only ## Good to know The Yivli Minaret is the intact fluted one by the Clock Tower. Kesik Minare, the “Broken Minaret” with its sheared-off top, is a different building deeper in Kaleiçi. Wikidata labels the mosque “Antalya Mosque”, but locals call it Yivli Minare. ## Tips - Start your day here: the tram is two steps away and everything else in the old town is downhill. - For the classic shot, go up to Cumhuriyet Square — minaret, domes, sea and mountains in one frame. - The Mevlevihane museum is free and rarely busy — give it at least 15 minutes. - On Fridays around midday the mosque is full; come in the morning or mid-afternoon. - Too hot by day? Come back after dinner in Kaleiçi, when the minaret is lit. - If you want the history explained on the spot, a guided old-town walk usually starts right here. ## Questions ### Is the Yivli Minaret free to visit? Yes. The minaret is outdoors, the mosque is free outside prayer times and the Mevlevihane museum next door is free as well. ### Can you climb the Yivli Minaret? No — the 90-step staircase inside leads to the muezzin’s balcony and isn’t open to visitors. You see the minaret from outside. ### How tall is the Yivli Minaret? About 38 m according to Wikipedia and Anadolu Agency; some Turkish sources give about 30 m. ### When was the Yivli Minaret built? Under the Seljuk Sultan Alaeddin Keykubad I, between 1220 and 1237. The mosque beside it dates from 1373. ### What are the opening hours? The minaret can be seen any time. The mosque opens outside prayer times. The Mevlevihane museum is open daily, 8:30–17:30 from November to April. ### How do I get to the Yivli Minaret? Heritage tram T2 to Kalekapısı or AntRay T1 to İsmetpaşa, then a 2–3-minute walk west past the Clock Tower along Cumhuriyet Caddesi. ### Is the Yivli Minaret worth visiting? Yes, as a 20–30-minute stop at the start of a Kaleiçi walk. It isn’t worth a separate trip from the resorts on its own. ### What does “Yivli” mean? “Fluted” in Turkish — the shaft is made of eight half-round brick flutes. ### What should I wear to the Yivli Minaret Mosque? Covered shoulders and knees; women need a headscarf. Shoes come off at the door. ## How we checked Questions follow what English-speaking travellers search for: entrance fee, can you climb it, how tall, history, hours, how to get there, is it worth it. Museum hours and free entry come from the official Turkish Ministry of Culture page; it lists winter hours from 1 November to 30 April, while its summer period is mislabelled, so we don’t show summer hours. There is no official page for mosque visiting times — they depend on prayers — so that row is marked “verifying”. Sources disagree on the height: Wikipedia and Anadolu Agency give 38 m, the KÜRE encyclopedia and Türkiye newspaper about 30 m; we show both. Guides disagree on climbing the minaret and we found no official permission, so we say it’s seen from outside and mark it “verifying”. Tram and airport details follow Wikivoyage and YesGo’s Kaleiçi page and are also “verifying”. ## Sources - Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism (Türkiye Müzeleri): Antalya Mevlevihanesi Müzesi — address, hours and admission, 30.10.2026 - KÜRE encyclopedia: Yivli Minare Külliyesi - English Wikipedia: Yivli Minaret Mosque; Turkish Wikipedia: Yivli Minare; Wikidata Q1753844 - Anadolu Agency, 3 August 2018 — the minaret and the UNESCO Tentative List - Türkiye newspaper (gzt.com), 14 December 2024 — Antalya’nın simgesi Yivli Minareli Camii --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.