Also going by the name of Ali Gav Zaviyesi (zaviye is a small-sized Islamic monastery), Mahmudiye Madrassa is only a couple of steps away from the Karatay Madrassa. It is presumed that this madrassa was built by the Seljuks, however, the exact year of its construction has not yet been determined on account of the epitaph of the madrassa not having been recovered yet.
Ali Gav is the founder of the zawiya built in the 13th century to the north of the Karatay Madrasa and Atatürk High School, or whether he is the sheikh or a mudarris in charge of this zawiya. According to a legend, Turkish soldiers besieged the Konya castle, but they could not take the city. A dervish named Ali, who sleeps in the zawiya inside the second Konya wall, enters the castle gate one day by dressing in ox skin and joining the cattle herd returning from the pasture. That night, he secretly opens the castle gate and allows the Turkish soldiers to take the city. “Gav” in Persian means ox. Since then, dervish Ali is known as Ali Gav. According to this legend, Ali may be a hero among the soldiers.
Today, this religious educational complex is still active, and many students go there every day to learn about Islamic sciences and arts.
Despite its small size, the Mahmudiye Madrassa offers one of the widest curriculums to its students among the Islamic schools in Konya.
Mahmudiye Madrassa does not have specific visiting hours. However, it closes by 6 p.
