Suleymaniye Mosque Presentation Notes
Istanbul Presentation: Imperial Mosque
Suleymaniye Mosque
Exterior:
The Suleymaniye Mosque sits on the highest hill of Istanbul.
Having the mosque built on the highest hill symbolically represents central power and the strength of the Turkish Empire.
Like other imperial mosque in Istanbul, the Suleymaniye Mosque is proceeded by a monumental courtyard on the west side.
The corners of the courtyard is marked with four minarets.
The two minarets on the north end are approximately 184 feet tall and have three balconies.
While the minarets on the south end are approximately 242 feet tall and only have two balconies.
These four minarets symbolizes Suleyman as the fourth sultan after the Conquest of Constantinople.
The minarets also have 10 galleries, which symbolizes Suleyman as the tenth sultan in the Ottoman Empire.
There are three entrances to the Suleymaniye Mosque, one being from the inner courtyard and two on the sides of the outer courtyard.
Interior:
The Suleymaniye Mosque is less elaborate than other mosque in Istanbul at the time.
Sinan pushed for the Islamic belief of uninterrupted space between man and God. His goal was to build the interior space with few obstructions as possible.
A dramatic building with elaborate decorations would only distract man from his spirituality.
The interior of the mosque is 59 meters in length and 58 meters in width, forming a single vast space.
When you walk into the mosque, the Mihrab is directly in front of you and to its right is the Minbar.
Both the Mihrab and Minbar are simple in design. Designs were made in ivory or mother pearl.
Above, you will notice a massive dome.
It is approximately 53 meters tall and a width of 27.5 meters.
The Dome is supported by massive arches and four large columns and smaller semi-domes.
The connection points of the dome are concealed and placed on the exterior so that the dome appears suspended in
Suleymaniye Mosque
Exterior:
The Suleymaniye Mosque sits on the highest hill of Istanbul.
Having the mosque built on the highest hill symbolically represents central power and the strength of the Turkish Empire.
Like other imperial mosque in Istanbul, the Suleymaniye Mosque is proceeded by a monumental courtyard on the west side.
The corners of the courtyard is marked with four minarets.
The two minarets on the north end are approximately 184 feet tall and have three balconies.
While the minarets on the south end are approximately 242 feet tall and only have two balconies.
These four minarets symbolizes Suleyman as the fourth sultan after the Conquest of Constantinople.
The minarets also have 10 galleries, which symbolizes Suleyman as the tenth sultan in the Ottoman Empire.
There are three entrances to the Suleymaniye Mosque, one being from the inner courtyard and two on the sides of the outer courtyard.
Interior:
The Suleymaniye Mosque is less elaborate than other mosque in Istanbul at the time.
Sinan pushed for the Islamic belief of uninterrupted space between man and God. His goal was to build the interior space with few obstructions as possible.
A dramatic building with elaborate decorations would only distract man from his spirituality.
The interior of the mosque is 59 meters in length and 58 meters in width, forming a single vast space.
When you walk into the mosque, the Mihrab is directly in front of you and to its right is the Minbar.
Both the Mihrab and Minbar are simple in design. Designs were made in ivory or mother pearl.
Above, you will notice a massive dome.
It is approximately 53 meters tall and a width of 27.5 meters.
The Dome is supported by massive arches and four large columns and smaller semi-domes.
The connection points of the dome are concealed and placed on the exterior so that the dome appears suspended in