Hospital Crown Portal

Five-pointed and eight-pointed designs symbolizing the Seljuks were used on the inner part of the portal. The chief architect placed three balance columns by this portal, similar to the two balance columns he placed in the west portal of the mosque. These balance columns show whether or not the mosque and the hospital are balanced. Until the Erzincan earthquake of 1939 the columns could be rotated. On either side of the balance columns at the Crown portals are crescents with six-pointed stars symbolizing Solomon’s seal. Beneath the column is a three-line inscription in the Seljuk script that reads, “Fahrettin Behram Shah’s daughter  the just Melike Turan, pitiful slave in need of Allah’s mercy, decreed in the year 626 H/ 1228 M that this hospital be built.” On either side of the portal there are human figures above the vegetative decoration. Their faces have been erased by time.