Suleymaniye Mosque - Another beautiful mosque has found its place in Istanbul. The work of one of the most famous Ottoman architects, Mimsr Sinan. Construction began in 1550 and lasted 7 years. The second name of the mosque is Mihrimah-mosque, and it is popularly known as the mosque that will never be demolished.
The mosque is built on a square in the form of a circle, with a very beautiful geometric appearance. Although it was hit by numerous earthquakes, the mosque remained undamaged. With its construction, it had to surpass the Jusinian Cathedral. The surroundings of the mosque are amazing, it has a large yard and there are numerous bars and restaurants nearby. According to historical records, 3,200 kg of gold were invested in the mosque, and over 3,000 workers worked on its construction.
The story of how the Suleimania Mosque was created is interesting. Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent wanted to build a mosque, but he could not find a good enough place for it. One night, Prophet Muhammad appeared to him in a dream and directed him to the place where the mosque should be built, as well as where the mihrab and minbar should be placed. After that dream, Suleiman called the builder Sinan with the intention of telling him where to build a mosque, and Sinan showed him where the mihrab and minbar would be built. Suleiman was amazed that Sinan already knew what he had dreamed, to which Sinan said that he was standing behind him in the dream. It was named after Sultan.
With the construction of this mosque, Sinan greatly contributed to Ottoman architecture. The mosque contains domes and arches, and the main dome reaches a height of 55 meters and a width of 25 meters. Inside the mosque, light from 136 windows comes through the windows. Sinan was buried next to the mosque.
Suleimania had 275 oil lamps. Sinan made a ventilation system, as well as a system for humidifying the space. He placed ostrich eggs between the chandeliers to prevent spider webs from forming. Some of them can still be seen inside the mosque, but most of them are broken.
This magnificent mosque is one of the largest mosques and represents the symbol of Sultan Suleiman's rule.
• The mosque is open every day from 8:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m
Author of the text:
Maja Glavaš, Bachelor with Honours in Communicology. Works in Tourism.
Contact: [email protected]; instagram: travel_europe1
Photo by Ibrahim Uzun on Unsplash
