BUILDING (MEKTEB, ELEMENTARY SCHOOL?) AT THE SOUTHERN CLIFF OVER THE PLATFORM OF THE FREE STANDING MINARET
Acrocorinth castle: the “Mekteb” building (Google earth).
At the southern side of Mehmed the Conqueror’s mosque stands a roofless building of rectangular shape ground floor plan, with general dimensions 6,65×11,00 m. The building faces the panorama of the Acrocorinthus castle and opens up its northern façade towards the steep slope.
The ground floor plan –of internal dimensions 8,94×4,64 m., presents a main entrance opening with two pointed arched windows. In the interior of the building, the eastern wall is equipped with two niches and quite possibly a window, while the opposite western wall shows the existence of other two niches and an opening.
Two niches, crowned with pointed arch forms, are found along the southern wall, that serves as a retaining wall.
According to prof. M. Kiel, the building may have been used as a “mekteb”, elementary school.
SOURCES
Athanasoulis Demetrios, To Κάστρο Ακροκορίνθου και η ανάδειξή του (2006-2009), 25η Εφορεία Βυζαντινών Αρχαιοτήτων, Hellenic Ministry of Culture Publication, Ancient Corinth 2009, p. 112-113.
Chrysafi-Zografou Metaxoula, “Τουρκικά κτίσματα στην Κόρινθο. Κρήνες και θρησκευτικά κτήρια”, ΥΠΠΕ, Τεχνική Περιοδική Έκδοση Αναστήλωση-Συντήρηση-Προστασία Μνημείων και Συνόλων, τ. Α΄, Αthens 1984, p. 278.
Eleni I. Kanetaki
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The so called “mekteb” building.Morea-Acrocorinth, Mekteb from Machiel Kiel’s digital archive
The interior of the mekteb building.
The pointed arch windows at the Mekteb’s main facade.
The pointed arch deep niches at the Mekteb’s interior.