Süleymaniye Mosque

쉴레이마니예 모스크

Mimar Sinan's imperial mosque for Suleiman the Magnificent (1550–1557) on Istanbul's third hill: a 53 m central dome flanked by semi-domes and cascading smaller domes, with four minarets carrying ten balconies.

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At a glance

Country: Türkiye
Location: Istanbul, Türkiye
Built: 1557
Height: 76 m
Type: Religious building

Quick answers

Where is Süleymaniye Mosque?

Süleymaniye Mosque is in Istanbul, Türkiye.

When was Süleymaniye Mosque built?

Süleymaniye Mosque was built in 1557.

How tall is Süleymaniye Mosque?

Süleymaniye Mosque is about 76 m tall.

The Süleymaniye Mosque is an Ottoman imperial mosque on the Third Hill of Istanbul, Turkey. Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent ordered it, and the imperial architect Mimar Sinan designed it. An inscription gives 1550 as the foundation date and 1557 as the opening date. It is the largest Ottoman-era mosque in the city, and it is considered a masterpiece of Ottoman architecture and one of Sinan's greatest works.

From its hilltop it has a wide view of the Golden Horn. The mosque is part of a larger complex called a külliye, with schools, a public kitchen and a hospital. Behind the main prayer hall is a cemetery with the octagonal tombs of Suleiman and his wife Hürrem Sultan, also known as Roxelana. It belongs to a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Historic Areas of Istanbul.

Why Suleiman built it

Suleiman had first asked Sinan to build a mosque in memory of his son Prince Mehmed, the Şehzade Mosque. He was so pleased that he asked for one for himself, too. His aim was to build a mosque that would surpass those of earlier rulers and show the power of the Ottoman Empire. The design recalls the Hagia Sophia, which had been the symbol of power since it was converted to a mosque in 1453.

Building and marble

The mosque was built on the site of the old palace, which had to be demolished. Marble from different parts of the empire was gathered and shipped there, including columns taken from the Hippodrome. A contemporary observer wrote about watching one of four huge porphyry columns being cut down to size. Hürrem's tomb was finished in the late 1550s, and Suleiman's tomb was built after he died, from 1566 to 1568.

Fires, earthquakes and repair

The mosque was damaged in the great fire of 1660. Part of the dome collapsed in the earthquake of 1766. During World War I ammunition stored in the courtyard caught fire, and the mosque was not fully restored until 1956. The most thorough modern restoration took place between 2007 and 2010. It showed that Sinan tried the colour blue on the dome before making red the main colour.

Fun facts

It was designed by the great architect Mimar Sinan, who is buried in its grounds.
The mosque has four minarets with ten balconies, according to the model's description.
Suleiman's tomb behind the mosque refers to the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem.
A part of the dome collapsed in an earthquake in 1766.
The area around it has 920 registered historic properties.