Architect Sinan and Selimiye Mosque

Selimiye Mosque, the masterwork of Architect Sinan, is one of the most important
works of 16th century Islamic Architecture. Bringing together different architectural styles
from the time the building was built, blending aesthetic ideals and function together make
this building unique. The magnificently resolved plan that accompanies the complex
adornment of the Islamic art and the accompanying “sky dome” and the dome representing
the power of the ruler cause the structure to stand out from other mosques. In Ottoman
mosques, the interior space is not separated from the exterior, by using windows of different
sizes in Selimiye Mosque, by making nature depictions with tiles and hand-drawn works, and
by the water element placed inside the mosque. One of the reasons why the Selimiye Mosque
is one of the most important works of its period is that the Ottoman Empire was very
economically strong at the time the mosque was built.