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A journey in the footsteps of Mimar Sinan (1)
Three great projects to which Architect Sinan was appointed head architect are accepted as the three steps that illustrate the development of his art. The first of these is the Şehzadebaşı Mosque in İstanbul. The mosque, which contains a central dome inside four half-domes, stood as an example for mosques built after it. The Süleymaniye Mosque, also in İstanbul, is the most magnificent of all structures erected by architect Sinan. His self-defined time as an “apprentice” was from 1550-1557. The greatest of all of Sinan’s projects, which he labeled his “masterpiece,” is the Selimiye Mosque in Edirne. Mimar Sinan, who died in 1588, was buried in a simple tomb built by himself adjacent to the Süleymaniye Mosque.
His first project as head architect
The Haseki Hürrem Sultan complex, comprising a mosque, a medrese (school), a hospital and a soup kitchen, is important in terms of being the first project completed by Sinan after he was granted the position of head architect. The mosque was built with a single dome and then expanded, with another dome added later on.
The most beautiful mosque in Üsküdar
Construction began on the Mihrimah Sultan Mosque complex in Üsküdar in 1542 for Mihrimah Sultan, the daughter of Süleyman the Magnificent. It includes a mosque, a medrese, a hamam (bath), a guesthouse, a soup kitchen and a lodge. Today only the mosque and medrese remain standing. It is one of the earlier works of Sinan. The main dome is supported by half domes on three sides; however, the front side does not include a half dome. The central dome used in the construction of the mosque gives the mosque a unique character. The fountain located in the center of the mosque’s yard is particularly beautiful. The medrese is today a hospital, and both it and the mosque are right on the waterfront in Üsküdar.
‘Bury me by the sea’
The tomb of Barbaros Hayreddin Paşa overlooks the Bosporus and is located near the Beşiktaş pier. It was built by Mimar Sinan in 1541. This piece of architecture is accepted as the first tomb constructed by Mimar Sinan. It was built in an octagonal plan and has two rows of windows all around. It is rarely open to the public, but one may visit it on April 4 and July 1, celebrated as Naval Martyrs Day and Coastal Navigation Day, respectively. Barbaros Hayreddin Paşa requested that he be buried in the tomb that he had constructed next to a medrese in Beşiktaş, which contains a deed of trust written by him in which he stated: “Bury me by the sea. I want to hear the sound of my navy’s soldiers and the rugged waves of the sea.”
An inspiration for other large mosques
The Şehzade Mehmet Mosque and its complex was the first house of worship built by Mimar Sinan. It was built upon the request of Süleyman the Magnificent for his son Mehmet, whom he loved very much but who died at the age of 21 in Manisa. The complex is located in the Şehzadebaşı neighborhood of Eminönü. This project, which Sinan called another one of his “apprentice works,” includes five main inner structures: the Şehzadebaşı Mosque, the Rüstem Paşa tomb, the Şehzade Mehmet tomb, a soup kitchen and a medrese. The Şehzade Mehmet tomb is particularly noteworthy for its ceramic tiles. According to Professor Oktay Aslanapa, the Şehzadebaşı Mosque constitutes a starting point for the large mosques that followed.
An architectural wonder: Süleymaniye
The Süleymaniye Mosque, labeled by Mimar Sinan as another project from his apprenticeship, is accepted as an architectural masterpiece. It is the grandest and most sophisticated of all the mosques in the city. It mesmerizes onlookers with its inner and exterior aesthetics. The laying of the foundation of the mosque took three years. It was built for Süleyman the Magnificent between 1550 and 1557. The Süleymaniye Mosque was built as part of a greater complex containing a medrese, a library, a hospital, a hamam, a soup kitchen, shops and a gated cemetery. Despite the fact that İstanbul has experienced around 100 earthquakes since the structure was built, one can’t see the slightest of cracks in the walls of this mosque. The mosque, which sits on four large pillars, has a dome that is 53 meters high and has a diameter of 26.5 meters. The main dome, similar to that of the Aya Sofya, is supported by two half domes. Süleyman the Magnificent lies inside this complex in a tomb that is also the work of Mimar Sinan. The tomb of Hürrem Sultan, Süleyman the Magnificent’s wife, is located close by. The humble tomb of Mimar Sinan lies in the northwestern corner of the complex.
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