The architecture of Istanbul is world renowned and a significant amount of it is due to the State Architect Koca Mimar Sinan. Sinan acquired this position under Sultan Suleyman (1520-66) after his completion of the Sehzade Mosque which was a tribute to the Sultan’s deceased son, Prince Mehmet.
This building boom lasted even after Sinan’s death in 1588 but his major accomplishments included the Suleymaniye Kulliye, located below, which is a complex of public buildings used for activities such as teaching and bathing. It overlooks the Bosporus and the Golden Horn (an inlet of the Bosporus dividing the city of Istanbul into “Old Istanbul” and “New Istanbul”).
Another major work by Sinan was the Sokollu Mehmet Pasha Mosque Complex which is a famous urban neighborhood in Istanbul. However, Sinan’s crowning achievement was the Selimiye Complex in Edirne about 4 hours North West of Istanbul. This consists of two equal sections, an outdoor court and a closed mosque.
As this boom continued Sinan’s total works included over 360 structures comprised of 84 mosques, 51 small mosques (mescit), 57 religious schools (medreses), 7 seminaries , 22 mausoleums (turbe), 17 care facilties, 3 asylums, 7 aqueducts, 46 inns, 35 palaces and mansions and 42 public baths.[1]
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