Gargılı Lala Medresesi

Gargılı Lala Medresesi (Stone Medrese) is a historical medrese structure located in the Emrem Neighborhood of Eski Uluborlu settlement, outside the walls of Uluborlu district in Isparta Province, immediately south of Alaaddin Camii. Based on its architectural features and historical sources, it is believed to have been constructed during the Hamidoğulları Beylik period. As one of the religious and social buildings of the settlement, it holds significance as the only medrese example to have survived to the present day in the area.

^{Gargılı Lala Medresesi} (Kültür Portalı)

The medrese lacks an inscription or foundation deed, so its founder and exact construction date remain unknown. However, when evaluated together with available sources and architectural characteristics, the structure is believed to have been built during the Hamidoğulları Beylik period in the 14th to 15th centuries. As Uluborlu was the first capital of the beylik, numerous military, religious and social buildings were constructed in the city, and Gargılı Lala Medresesi is regarded as an important institution established for educational purposes within this process of urban development.

Gargılı Lala Medresesi was constructed according to a closed courtyard plan type with a two-iwan and single-story layout. Externally, it presents an irregular rectangular plan oriented east-west. At the center of the rectangular structure lies a covered courtyard topped by a dome, with student rooms arranged around its perimeter. The medrese contains a total of ten rooms. The use of brick material in the upper sections of the structure is a notable architectural feature. Additionally, the domed roofing of the student rooms gives the building similarities in plan and roofing system to Ottoman-period medreses.

Today, Gargılı Lala Medresesi is largely ruined and in a state of severe decay. The upper roof has collapsed and the architectural integrity has been significantly damaged. Nevertheless, it continues to exist as an original example of a medrese within the historical settlement of Uluborlu, preserving its plan layout.