When the Seljuk Turks first arrived in Iran, they encountered an architecture based on old traditions. Integrating this with elements from their own traditions, the Seljuks produced new types of structures, most notably the "medrese." The first medreses (moslem theological schools) were constructed in the 11th century by the famous minister Nizamulmulk, during the time of Alpaslan and Meliksah. The most important ones are the three government medreses in Nisabur, Tus and Baghdad and the Hargerd Medrese in Horasan.

Another area in which the Seljuks contributed to architecture is that of tomb monument. These can be divided into two types: vaults and large dome-like mausoleums.

The Ribati-Serif and the Ribati Anasirvan are examples of surviving 12th century Seljuk caravansarays, which offered shelter for travellers. Seljuk buildings generally incorporate brick, while the inner and outer walls are decorated in a material made by mixing marble, powder, lime and plaster.

In typical buildings of the Anatolian Seljuk period, the major construction material was wood, laid horizontally except along windows and doors where columns were considered more decorative.

Turkish architecture reached its peak during the Ottoman period. Ottoman architecture, influenced by Seljuk, Byzantine and Arab architecture, came to develop a style all of its own.

The years 1300-1453 constitute the early or first Ottoman period, when Ottoman art was in search of new ideas. This period witnessed three types of mosques: tiered, single-domed and subline-angled mosques. The Junior Haci Ozbek Mosue (1333) in Iznik, the first important center of Ottoman art, is the first example of an Ottoman single-domed mosque.

The domed architectural style evolved from Bursa and Edirne. The Holy Mosque in Bursa was the first Seljuk mosque to be converted into a domed one. Edirne was the last Ottoman capital before Istanbul, and it is here that we witness the final stages in the architectural development that culminated in the construction of the great mosques of Istanbul. The buildings constructed in Istanbul during the period between the capture of the city and the construction of the Istanbul Beyazit mosque are also considered works of the early period. Among these are the Faith mosque (1470), Mahmutpasa mosque, the tiled palace and Topkapi Palace.

The Ottomans integrated mosques into the community and added soup kitchens, theological schools, hospitals, Turkish baths and tombs.

During the classical period mosque plans changed to include inner and outer courtyards. The inner courtyard and the mosque were inseparable. The master architect of the classical period, Mimar Sinan, was born in 1492 in Kayseri and died in Istanbul in the year 1588. Sinan started a new era in world architecture, creating 334 buildings in various cities. Mimar Sinan's first important work was the Sehzade Mosque completed in 1548. His second significant work was the Suleymaniye Mosque and the surrounding complex, built for Kanuni Sultan Suleyman. The Selimiye mosque in Edirne was built during the years 1568-74, when Sinan was in his prime as an architect.The Rustempasa, Mihriman Sultan, Imbrahimpasa, and Sinan mosques and the Sehzade, Kanuni Sultan Suleyman Hurrem Sultan and Selim II mausoleums are among Sinan's most renowned works.

During the years 1720-1890, Ottoman art deviated from the principals of classical times. In the 18th century, during the Lale, or Tulip, period, Ottoman art came under the influence of the excessive decoration of the western Baroque and Roccoco styles. Fountains became the characteristic structures of this period. An eclecticism set in. The Aksaray Valide mosque is an example of the mixture of Turkish art and Gothic style.

In Turkish architecture, the years 1890-1930 are looked upon as the neoclassical period. In this period, Turkish architects looked into the religious and classical buildings of former times for inspiration in their attempts to construct a national architecture. Nationalism, developing strongly after the second Ottoman constitutional period, freed Ottoman architecture from the influence of western art, and thereby brought about a new style based on classical Ottoman architecture.

Following this development, the Ismet Pasa Girls' Institute, the Ankara Faculty of Letters, the Saracoglu district, the Grand Theater and the Istanbul Hilton paved the way for recognition of contemporary architecture. During this period, Sedat Hakki Eldem built the Istanbul Science-Literature Faculty and Emim Onat designed Ataturk's Mausoleum, in Ankara.

After 1950, the trend in constructing buildings came to depend more on their purpose, the requirements of the age, awareness of town planning and the practicality of construction materials. The National Library designed by Sevki Vanli, the Turkish Historical Society building by Turgut Cansever, the Istanbul Anatolian Club, Behruz Cinici's Erzurum Ataturk University, Ankara's Middle East Technical University, the Oren and Bodrum coastal strips, the Houses of Parliament, the Kayseri Surgical Clinic designed by Affan Kirimli, the Adana Social Security Headquarters and the Ankara Medical Faculty Hospitals are all examples of Republican architecture.

By the 1970s, many old buildings of architectural significance were converted into hotels and restaurants for public use. Also during this period, Turkish architectural styles enjoyed a resurgence. 

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