Suleymaniye Mosque

The Süleymaniye Mosque is an Ottoman imperial mosque that was commissioned around 1550 by Süleyman I, known as ‘the Magnificent,’ and designed by Mimar Sinan, the most famous and talented of all the imperial architects. Located on one of the seven hills of Istanbul, the mosque’s four minarets, with their ten beautiful serefes (balconies) dominate the skyline near the Golden Horn.

Similar to other imperial mosques in Istanbul, the Süleymaniye Mosque was designed as a külliye, or a complex with adjacent structures to service both religious and cultural needs. The design also references the Dome of the Rock, perhaps as Süleyman considered himself a second Solomon. After being damaged in the great fire of 1660, the mosque was restored by Sultan Mehmed IV, however it was damaged again in the earthquake of 1776, when a part of the dome collapsed. It was not fully restored again until 1956.

Suleymaniye Mosque

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