Mimar Sinan

Visual Arts & Architecture~1489 – 1588

Süleymaniye, Selimiye — the Ottoman Michelangelo

The greatest architect of the Islamic world and Michelangelo's exact contemporary. Chief imperial architect for fifty years, he designed over 300 structures. The Selimiye in Edirne achieves a unity of interior space that rivals any building in the world.

Key works

  • Süleymaniye Mosque, Istanbul1550-1557— Ottoman architecture's answer to Hagia Sophia
    Istanbul
  • Selimiye Mosque, Edirne1568-1574— His masterpiece — a dome surpassing Hagia Sophia's span
    Edirne
  • Sehzade Mosque, Istanbul1548— His 'apprentice work' — already a masterpiece
    Istanbul

Connections

External