Suleymaniye Mosque Complex, Interior

Abstract

The Suleymaniye Mosque is located on the Third Hill of Istanbul. It is the second largest mosque in the city, and one of the City's touristic, architectural and historical highlights. This Ottoman imperial mosque was built on the order of Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent. Designed by the royal architect Mimar Sinan, it was constructed between 1550-1558. This vast religious complex blended Islamic and Byzantine architectural elements. It combines tall, slender minarets with large domed buildings supported by half domes in the style of the Byzantine church Hagia Sophia. Based on the architecture of Hagia Sophia, the Suleymaniye Mosque is nevertheless smaller in size. Badly damaged by fire circa 1660, it was restored by Sultan Mehmed IV circa 1660-1687. Part of the dome collapsed during an earthquake in 1766. Subsequent repairs damaged what was left of the original decoration. During World War I the courtyard was used as a weapons arsenal. Fire caused by the ignition of ammunition damaged the mosque again. It was fully restored in 1956. The complex includes four minarets, six madrasahs, a house for the poor, soup kitchens, caravanserai, a mental hospital, baths, a school and shops. The sultan and his family's mausoleums were also erected there.