Mimar Sinan: Master Builder of the Ottoman Golden Age.

Known as Sinan Agha, the Great Architect, or simply Mimar Sinan (whose name means “Sinan the Architect” in modern Turkish), this influential Ottoman figure (born around 1488/1490 and died in Constantinople on July 17, 1588) was an architect of the same era as Western luminaries such as Vignola, Palladio, Michelangelo, and Juan de Herrera. He served as the chief architect (mimar) and civil engineer under the Sultans Suleiman the Magnificent, Selim II, and Murad III.

His prolific career encompassed the conception and construction of over three hundred significant structures, in addition to smaller-scale projects, including educational institutions.

Notably, his disciples were responsible for the design of the iconic Sultan Ahmed Mosque in Istanbul, as well as the Mostar Bridge, located in the city of the same name.

Widely regarded as the most prominent architect of the classical period of Ottoman architecture, Mimar Sinan is frequently compared to Michelangelo, his contemporary in the Western world. Michelangelo’s reputation and his plans for St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome were well-known in Istanbul, as Sultan Bayezid II had commissioned him (along with Leonardo da Vinci) to create a bridge across the Golden Horn in 1502.

Origin

Although his family origins are situated in a Christian context (Armenian, Albanian, or Greek), Sinan converted to Islam and received training in the service of the Sultan within the elite Janissary corps. These soldiers were recruited from the sons of Christian families from various regions of the vast Ottoman Empire. While it is speculated that his place of origin may have been Cappadocia, uncertainty persists due to the loss of the Janissary archives in a 19th-century fire.

It was within the military sphere that his mathematical abilities began to manifest, leading to his ascent to the rank of ‘zemberkcibasi,’ a chief officer initially in charge of catapults, although by that time this function had extended to artillery. This position entailed responsibilities in all aspects of military engineering, including the construction of fortresses, bridges, aqueducts, shipyards, walls, and city gates throughout the empire.

During a time of great expansion for the Ottoman Empire, Sinan actively participated in numerous military campaigns that allowed him to become familiar with a wide range of architectural styles. In this way, he was able to study European Gothic (during the capture of Belgrade in 1521, the Battle of Mohács against the Hungarians in 1526, and the campaign against Germany in 1529), Romanesque and classical Greco-Roman art (in Rhodes in 1522, Corfu, Apulia, and Moldavia in 1537), as well as Eastern art (in Persia in 1534). Furthermore, he had been exposed to Byzantine art since his childhood.

Around the age of fifty, Suleiman the Magnificent appointed him as his chief architect. It was then, in his maturity, that his impressive career in architecture began. Istanbul is home to some of his most important constructions, including the monumental Mihrimah Mosques, the Şehzade Mosque, and the magnificent Süleymaniye Mosque, also known as the Mosque of Suleiman. Another of his most celebrated works is the Mehmed Paša Sokolović Bridge in Višegrad (Bosnia and Herzegovina), recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Sinan’s contribution to Turkish art, characterized by its originality and advanced development, exerted a profound influence throughout the Islamic world. Throughout his extensive life, he is credited with a vast body of work, likely making him the most prolific architect in history. It is estimated that he designed: 81 mosques, 50 prayer rooms, 62 schools, 19 mausoleums, 32 palace complexes, 24 hospitals, 17 post houses, 6 markets, 33 public baths, 7 aqueducts, 8 bridges, and 338 unidentified buildings.

The stages of evolution and consolidation of Sinan’s career can be illustrated through three key works, two of which are located in Istanbul: the Şehzade Mosque, which he himself considered a work of his apprenticeship period, and the Süleymaniye Mosque, representative of his mature stage. The Selimiye Mosque in Edirne, on the other hand, is the product of his master period.

“…Architects of some importance in Christian countries consider themselves far superior to Muslims, because to date the latter have never accomplished anything comparable to the dome of Hagia Sophia. Thanks to the help of the Almighty and the favor of the Sultan, I have managed to build for the mosque of Sultan Selim a dome that surpasses that of Hagia Sophia by four zira (cubits) in diameter and six in height…” – Mimar Sinan, from his autobiography.

Work

His background as a military engineer oriented his architectural approach towards practice rather than theory, a characteristic he shared with great Western Renaissance architects such as Brunelleschi and Michelangelo.

The development and mature phases of Sinan’s career can be exemplified by three significant constructions. The first two are located in Istanbul: the Şehzade Mosque, which he himself categorized as a work of his apprenticeship phase, and the Süleymaniye Mosque, considered the culmination of his qualification stage. The Selimiye Mosque in Edirne represents the pinnacle of his mastery. The Şehzade Mosque marked the beginning of Sinan’s creation of large imperial mosques. The Mihrimah Sultan Mosque, also known as the Üsküdar Quay Mosque, was completed in the same year and exhibits an original design, with a main dome supported by three semi-domes. The Süleymaniye Mosque complex was completed when Sinan was around seventy years old. This building, situated on one of the hills of Istanbul overlooking the Golden Horn and erected in honor of Suleiman the Magnificent, stands as one of the symbolic monuments of the era. The dome of the Selimiye Mosque, with a diameter exceeding 31 meters and completed by Sinan when he was around eighty years old, constitutes an exceptional testament to the technical and artistic level achieved by Sinan, even surpassing the dimensions of the dome of Hagia Sophia.

Mimar Sinan’s artistic excellence reached its zenith in the design, architecture, ceramic ornamentation, and stonework manifested in the Selimiye Mosque.

Another architectural field in which Sinan contributed unique designs was that of mausoleums. The Mausoleum of Prince Mehmed stands out for its exterior decorations and its dome. The mausoleum of Rüstem Pasha is an attractive structure in a classical style. The mausoleum of Suleiman the Magnificent presents an interesting experiment with its octagonal body and flat dome. The mausoleum of Selim II, with its square plan, is considered one of the finest examples of mausoleum architecture in Turkey. In contrast, Sinan’s own mausoleum, located in the northeastern part of the Süleymaniye complex, is a very simple construction.

In the construction of bridges, Sinan masterfully combined aesthetics with functionality. The Büyükçekmece Bridge, with a length of nearly 635 meters, is the longest of those he built. Other notable examples include the Ailivri Bridge, the Old Bridge of Svilengrad on the Maritsa River, the Lüleburgaz Bridge (Sokullu Mehmet Pasha) on the Lüleburgaz River, the Sinanlı Bridge on the Ergene River, and the Drina Bridge (whose design is attributed to him and which inspired the name of the famous novel by Yugoslav author Ivo Andrić, although he did not directly construct it).

During his work in maintaining and improving Istanbul’s water supply system, Sinan built aqueducts in various parts of the city. The Mağlova Aqueduct over the Alibey River, with a length of 257 meters and a height of 35 meters, features two levels of arches and is considered one of the finest examples of this typology.

At the beginning of Sinan’s career, Ottoman architecture was primarily pragmatic. Buildings were largely repetitions of earlier models, based on rudimentary plans. A fragmented conception prevailed rather than a unified vision. An architect could sketch a new building, and his assistants and foremen knew how to proceed, as original ideas were avoided. Furthermore, architects often employed excessive safety margins in their designs, resulting in a waste of materials and labor. Sinan gradually transformed this situation. He revolutionized established architectural practices, expanding and modifying traditions, introducing innovations, and striving for perfection.

In conclusion, we can summarize that:

At the beginning of his career as an architect, Sinan encountered a firmly established architectural tradition. His background as a military engineer led him to approach architecture from an empirical rather than a theoretical perspective. He began to experiment with the design and engineering of single and multiple dome structures. His goal was to achieve a new geometric purity, rationality, and spatial integrity in his constructions and mosque designs. Throughout this process, he demonstrated his creativity and his desire to create clear and unified spaces. He developed a series of variations on domes, combining them with various forms using semi-domes, piers, walls, and different arrangements of galleries. While his arches and domes are curved, he avoided curvilinear elements in the rest of his designs, transforming the circle of the dome into rectangular, hexagonal, or octagonal systems. He sought a rational harmony between the exterior pyramidal composition of semi-domes culminating in a single dome, and the interior conception where this central dome vertically integrates the space into a coherent whole. His genius lay in the organization of this space and in the resolution of the tensions inherent in the design. He was an innovator in the use of decoration and motifs, integrating them with architectural forms into a unity. He emphasized the center located under the central dome by flooding it with light through numerous windows. He efficiently integrated his mosques into complexes (külliye) that served the needs of the community as intellectual and communal centers, and to address the social and health problems of the faithful.

With Sinan’s death, classical Ottoman architecture had reached its zenith. None of his successors possessed the talent necessary to surpass the design of the Selimiye Mosque and develop it further. His students retreated to older models, such as the Şehzade Mosque. Innovation waned, and a period of decline began.

Influence

His name endures in the naming of a crater on the planet Mercury, the Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University of Istanbul, and the Mimar Sinan Fine Arts Institute of Istanbul and Ankara.

His effigy appeared on the old 10,000 Turkish lira banknotes between 1982 and 1995.

Burial Place

To fulfill his religious duty, Sinan journeyed to Mecca for the Hajj in 1582. He lived to be a hundred years old, eventually passing away while still deeply engaged in his demanding architectural work, which consumed much of his time. Additionally, he dedicated himself to teaching, sharing his architectural expertise with over 250 students.

He is buried in a türbe of his own design, located in the cemetery adjacent to the northern walls of the Süleymaniye Mosque, across a street that commemorates his legacy with the name Mimar Sinan Caddesi. His tomb is situated near the tombs of his principal patrons: Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent and his wife Roxelana.