SULEYMANIYE MOSQUE, Istanbul, Turkey

2006.05.01

Like Rome, Constantinople was founded as the city of seven hills.  The First Hill was the heart of the ancient capital where the Greeks found the city of Byzantium.  For today’s tourists, the First Hill is equivalent to Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque and Topkapi Palace, while the Second Hill is dominated by the Great Bazaar.  Upon the top of the Third Hill stands Suleymaniye Mosque, one of the most famous mosques in Istanbul.  Commissioned by Suleiman the Magnificent and designed by Ottoman architect Mimar Sinan, Suleymaniye Mosque was completed in 1557 as the fourth imperial mosque.  For Sultan Suleiman, erecting the Suleymaniye Mosque was like building his version of Hagia Sophia of Temple of Solomon.  For architect Mimar Sinan, the most prominent architect in Ottoman history who was responsible for at least 374 structures and worked as the chief imperial architect for nearly 50 years, the Suleymaniye Mosque was considered as a fine example of work from his mid-career.

The four minarets of Süleymaniye Mosque are some of the most visible features of historic Istanbul from the Golden Horn.

The ablution facilities for wudu line along the exterior wall of the mosque.

To the right of the main entrance is the mosque cemetery, containing historical tombstones and the octagonal mausoleum of Suleyman and his wife Haseki Hurrem Sultan.

The design of Süleymaniye Mosque was strongly influenced by the Hagia Sophia.

The dome of Süleymaniye Mosque is 53m high and has a diameter of 26.5m, smaller than the one of Hagia Sophia.

A fountain stands in the centre of the first courtyard of the mosque.

The interior space is square in plan.  Although simple in design, the white mihrab is undoubtedly the focal point inside the mosque.

Looking north, the skyline of Karakoy across the Golden Horn lies right in front of us.

Suleymaniye Mosque is surrounded by the campus of Istanbul University.  We met two university students who were more than eager to chat with us about their beloved city.

Several restoration staff of Suleymaniye Mosque reminded us that maintaining such a huge amount of historical buildings in Istanbul required continuous efforts and techniques of many generations.