Piecing Together a Lost (Seljuk) Palace: Photographic Research and Digital Reconstruction

Abstract This article examines the remains the kiosk built for Seljuk Sultan Qilij Arslan II (r. 1155–92) atop one of the northern towers of the wall around the citadel in Konya, Turkey. The structure was one the few medieval Islamic palatial structures to survive into the age of photography. Photographs taken before the upper structure collapsed in 1907 show details that have since been lost. This article aims to reimagine and reconstruct the original appearance of the kiosk, and a newly excavated structure to its west, using a combination of methodological and evidentiary approaches. The research is based on the close study of the earliest recorded drawings and photographs of the building, alongside the extant material remains in museums across the world, as well as the in situ structural elements.