English: Close-up of the main entrance door of the ‘Ibrahim Bey Imareti’. The name ‘Soup kitchen of Ibrahim Bey’ could be somewhat misleading, since it was founded as a külliye (complex) for the poor and the travellers, including a mescid (small mosque), a çeşme (fountain), a tabhane (hostel), a medrese (school) and the founder’s tomb, apart from the name giving aşevi (kitchen).

The woodcarving is of good quality, but recent. It imitates the Seljuk ‘kündekari’ technique. When the real ‘kündekari’ technique is used, pieces of different sizes are worked separately, and then assembled (like a big jigsaw puzzle), without using any glue, split pin or nail. This technique is extremely difficult.

In this case, the geometrical patterns and floral motifs were just carved on the large door panels. Source: ‘Karaman (Tarihi ve Kültürü)’ (Ilhan Temizsoy & M. Vehbi Uysal) – Konya 1981 & Wikipedia .