The Küçük Karatay Madrasa is located in the Karatay district, directly east of the Karatay Madrasa, across the street. Today, only a single iwan survives, and the madrasa’s original layout remains unclear, as most of the structure is believed to have been demolished during road construction.
Inside the iwan, a mihrab is set into the southern wall, while a pointed-arched window opens on the eastern side. To the south lies a crypt containing the tomb of the building’s patron, Kamal al-Din Rumtash. The iwan was built using rubble stone and brick and is decorated with geometric patterns formed from glazed bricks and cut tiles. A combination of unglazed and turquoise-glazed bricks creates intricate designs, with pieces of aubergine-purple and turquoise tiles placed between them. The tympanum above the window is also adorned with a geometric mosaic in the same color scheme.
During restoration work carried out in 1990, a timber and tile roof was added to the iwan. Although no construction inscription has survived, it is known that the madrasa was commissioned by Kamal al-Din Rumtash, the brother of the Seljuk vizier Jalal al-Din Karatay. The waqfiyya of the nearby Karatay Madrasa refers to “a madrasa in the capital city of Konya, on the street aligned with the madrasa of his brother Emir Kamal al-Din Rumtash, whose boundaries need not be described as it is well known and stands alone.” This reference indicates that the Küçük Karatay Madrasa was established prior to the Karatay Madrasa.
