Seljuk History in Konya: Sahib Ata Ice Houses

There are two ice houses in Konya, believed to have been constructed in the latter half of the thirteenth century under the supervision of Seljuk Vizier Sahib Ata Fahr al-Din Ali. One of these ice houses, known as the Double Icehouse, can be found near the train station in the Havzan neighborhood of the Meram district. The second icehouse is situated on the Havzan bank of the Göz Demir Bridge.

The Double Icehouse is a structure made of roughly worked stones and has an east-west orientation. It consists of two adjacent rooms covered by a pointed barrel vault. Staircases are located at the corners of the eastern wall for descending into the rooms. In the western part, new constructions were initiated where the ice pools had previously been situated. Unfortunately, this caused damage to the vaults and walls in that section. However, the construction was halted to preserve the overall structure. Presently, the Double Icehouse is employed for mushroom cultivation.

The other icehouse is a rectangular structure with an east-west orientation, also featuring a pointed barrel vault. Access to its interior is provided by a single flight of stairs with a landing on the eastern side. On the western side, there is a rectangular window used for pouring ice into the ice pools in that direction. This icehouse served as a military storehouse for an extended period and currently remains unoccupied.