Süleymaniye Mosque

The Süleymaniye Mosque (Turkish: Süleymaniye Camii ) is one of the major mosques in İstanbul. It was built by order of the Magnificent Sultan Suleyman in a very short construction period between the years 1550 and 1557 and is an important work of the architect Sinan.

Description and History

The monumental Kulliye to the mosque belongs, has a similar urban and imperial claim as the Fatih Mosque Mehmed the Conqueror. The complex takes on the difficult topography on the steep hill third of the city and the surrounding streets as a challenge and comes up with original architectural solutions. Masterly are, for example, the third and fourth Madrassah ( Rabi and Salis Medresesi ), 1558/59 completed, with their terraces to the Golden Horn towards. Inside the mosque, the famous red bolus is used in the Iznik tiles first. 130 colored, colorful stone glass windows with exquisite calligraphy allow light to pass through the qibla wall. The courtyard is enclosed as in the Üç - Serefeli Mosque in Edirne by four minarets, said two of the mosque are facing higher ( 81 meters).

The execution of Kulliye was mostly (about 50% share of Christians ) accomplished by free artisans from many parts of the Ottoman Empire, including many Greeks and Armenians. Janitscharenrekruten about 40% were mainly engaged in relief work. Slaves were, however, employed to below 5%, mostly transported on the galleys, the building materials. A total of 2500-3000 workers were busy building. Sinan called the Süleymaniye Mosque as his " apprentice work" ( kalfalık eseri ) and he took it on the plan of a four-pillared mosque, the dome system of central dome, two half domes and two shield walls of the Sultan Beyazit Mosque and Hagia Sophia, but came to very different spatial effects. The Suleymaniye Mosque is regarded as exemplary of the Ottoman architecture at the beginning of her climax.

The mosque is located in a courtyard of 216 by 144 meters, which includes the Türben and a cemetery. Outside dimensions including the amount of the courtyard 108 times 73 meters. The mosque inside is 59 meters long and 58 meters wide. The yard area is 46 by 32 meters. The main dome is 53 meters high and has a diameter of 27.25 meters. Similar proportions reached after especially the Mosque of Sultan Selim II in Edirne and the Sultan Ahmed Mosque in Istanbul. In the central dome Sinan was 64 pottery vessels of 0.5 meters in diameter installed. This he achieved excellent acoustics.

For the giant weight of this mosque Sinan had built a stabilized with piles foundation of a particularly suitable cement place, he had to dry very slowly. Only after the foundation set itself gently that sought strength had reached and its seismic waves could exert buffering effect, he ordered the buildings to build.

Besides the main mosque with the prayer hall ( cami ) and the atrium ( avlu ) including cleaning wells ( Şadırvan ) consists of the building complex, Kulliye called, nor from the following surrounding buildings:

• Mausoleums of the Sultan and his wife Roxelane / Hasseki Hürrem ( Turbe )
• Cemetery
• House of caretaker ( Türbedar Oda )
• Astronomical Observatory ( Muvakkithane )
• Advanced school of traditional prophecies / Hadith ( Dar -ul Hadis )
• Aspirants school ( Mülazimler Medresesi )
• Four public universities ( Madrasah )
• Faculty of Medicine ( Tıp Medresesi )
• Hospital ( Dar -UES Şifa )
• Madrasa ( Dar -ul Kura )
• Primary school ( Sıbyan Mektebi )
• Soup kitchen ( Imaret )
• Caravanserai / hospice ( Tabhane )
• Water distribution station ( Taksim )
• Public bath (Hamam )
• Fountain
• Latrines

In the garden behind the main mosque there are two mausoleums ( Turbe ), where Sultan Suleiman I, his wife Roxelane ( Hasseki Hürrem ) and his daughter Mihrimah, his mother Dilaşub Saliha and his sister Asiye and the sultans Suleiman II, Ahmed II and the daughter of Mustafa II, Safiye are buried. On the edge of the complex is the tomb of the architect Sinan.

It's been a long time custom in the Ottoman Empire, to erect any other magnificent mosques, though there were plenty of places of worship in the city. This was not considered very pious and was reprimanded by the highest minister. Waste is generally not welcome in Islam, modesty a high virtue. Therefore, often an entire mosque complex ( Kulliye ) was established with charitable organizations to legitimize additional magnificent. At the same time, for example, stores were some facilities to finance the maintenance of Kulliye.

The Sultan Süleyman Mosque was the most ambitious of Sultan Suleyman Foundation, but also in South East Europe, Anatolia, Mecca, Medina, Damascus, Jerusalem, Baghdad, etc. remarkable public buildings erected to demonstrate the power of the sovereign and legitimate.

Interpretation of the Süleymaniye Kulliye

The interpretation of the Süleymaniye Kulliye based on numerous connotations and levels of meaning, which, for example, at the functional level, in cultural associations and myths, for example, through the conscious use of certain building materials caused, disclose in the formal language of architecture and also in the many inscriptions.

The Ottoman sultans understood since Sultan Mehmed II the Conqueror increasingly. Than defenders of the orthodox Sunni Islam against the partly heterodox Sufi orders, which is why this is also axially closely in the arrangement of the theological faculties at the flanks of the mosque to express The growing influence of the ulema ( scholars clergy ) is evident in the large number of theological universities. Sultan Mehmed II Designated still as the successor of the Roman emperors as Sultan -i Rum ( Rum = Rome), then the legitimacy of the sultan shifts after taking the Arab heartland by Suleiman's father, Selim I and assumption of the title " Protector of the Holy Places " Mecca and Medina towards a more Islamic rulers and the name of Padishah -i Islam.

This imperial mosque of Suleiman as an expression of power was visited by the Sultan week, bringing a public connection to the rule was made ​​with the ruled and strengthened by charity donations.

The dome is a centuries-old metaphor for the heavens. Contemporaries described the domes and half-domes child as if they were twins of the celestial orbits. "The earth calls out the sky with domes, which are even higher than Paradise. " The rippling marble fountain in the courtyard is a throwback to " Kawthar " the river in Paradise. But the entire mosque is regarded as a symbol of paradise, which is also emphasized in most exquisite calligraphy. Also, the light incident wasteful in the mosque, has great symbolic meaning ( as usual in Ottoman buildings ), funded by colorful stone glass windows that are decorated with calligraphy, such as the Lichtvers from the Koran ( 24:35):

" God is the Light of the heavens and the earth. His light is a niche comparable, in which is a lamp. The lamp is in a glass. The glass is as it were a brightly shining star. It is lit from a blessed Tree, an Olive, neither eastern nor western, whose oil almost glows, even without that the fire had touched it. Light upon light. God guides to His light whom He pleases, and God leads man to the parables. And Allah knows all things. "

The mosque so becomes flooded with divine light as it were. These illuminate at night over 2000 oil lamps made ​​of glass ( at that time also means halved ostrich eggs added) the interior like a star tent.

The wall niche facing Mecca ( ​​Qiblah ) is decorated with exquisite Iznik tiles showing the plants and flowers of a garden paradise. This paradise theme will intensify repeated in the mausoleum of Süleyman and his wife Roxelane, also Suleiman has made decorating with these blue - red Iznik tiles Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem, when he renovated it. It is interesting that in the course of counter the mausoleum of Süleyman is a quote from the Dome of the Rock, with its double dome, its inner round arcades, its octagonal floor plan and its outer colonnades. In addition, the inner ceiling is embedded as with rock crystal stones and otherwise embellished, so she has a great resemblance to the ceiling of the Dome of the Rock. These similarities are not accidental, they are nevertheless indicative of the fabled temple of King Solomon and the prophets. So Suleiman has also in well - inscriptions explicitly pointed out and speaks of himself as " Suleyman -i Zaman " (Solomon of the age ).

The foundation deed refers to the mosque as the newly built legendary Iram, the city of a thousand columns, also an image of paradise. This reference to the mystical Iram also illuminates the enormous effort that has been used in finding and Choosing the granite, porphyry and marble columns. These columns have been looking everywhere in the Ottoman Empire, from ancient ruins, but also by later, ruinous buildings, which had already used such spoils. It is reported that from the Hippodrome of Constantinople Opel found 17 marble columns use. The enormous difficulties to transport these massive stones, soon led to numerous legends, similar to those that occurred during the construction of the Hagia Sophia, and should ultimately demonstrate strength, wealth and power of the Empire and its sultan.

Just as the Hagia Sophia modeled after the legendary Temple of Solomon is ( " templum novum of Solomon " ), Suleymaniye leads with their same design scheme ( dome - two half domes - two shield walls) this interpretation continues. Likewise, Süleyman also brought with specialized ships priceless spolia columns from the Temple of Jupiter at Baalbek, as had happened in the Hagia Sophia. He also brought pillars of his conquests of Rhodes, Belgrade, and Malta. From all this it appears that the Solomonic references are not accidental. Each column, which was brought from distant areas, symbolizes the memories of various people.

To support inside each two mighty columns of pink granite, a triumphal arch -like motif under the shield walls. Two of the columns should come from Alexandria and Baalbek - the Baalbeck temple is interpreted in Islamic sources as a legendary palace of Solomon, built for the Queen of Sheba, the other two pillars of a royal palace in Istanbul and elsewhere in Istanbul (possibly Augusteion and Hippodrome ). Two more columns of Alexandria are sunk on a ship in a storm. These four pillars symbolize the four successors of Muhammad: Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman, and Ali. Likewise, the four legal schools of Sunni Islam were seen in the fact, as in the four universities around the mosque. An analogy also give the four minarets: the four "friends" ( followers ) of Muhammad. Another association of the four minarets is that Suleyman the fourth Sultan was since the conquest of Constantinople Opel. The minarets have ten balconies, which could indicate that he was the tenth Sultan of the Ottoman Empire.

Likewise, you can see the dome, supported by four massive arches, with the interpretation of the four caliphs, and four law schools, covered by Muhammad associate. This canopy design is compared in sources with the arches of the palace of Sassanidenherrschers Chosraus.

The mosque was regarded by contemporaries as a " second Kaaba ". Amazing is a letter of Shiite enemy Shah Tahmasp I. from Iran for the opening ceremony in this regard: he identified the mosque as a sanctuary and writes that he of the "Holy House of God" ( = Kaaba ) is reminded. These analogies to the Kaaba are not a coincidence, because in the mausoleum of Sultan Süleyman an original piece of the sacred black meteorite the Kaaba was the entrance edged.

Not by chance is also the location above the Golden Horn on the third of the seven hills of Istanbul. The Mosque dominates the Istanbul skyline there and from there you have a view over the whole city. Evliya Çelebi writes, from there you can see the "whole world". The motif of towering mosque with its surrounding buildings, over the city, with its cascading pyramid dome, stands for the Ottoman Empire with the Sultan at the top.

The interior decoration is performed, for example, compared with the Hagia Sophia sparingly, in whole architecture unterordnend. The crystalline geometric structure of the building should capture the viewer, not its surfaces. Euclidean geometry comes into its own. The eye is drawn to the sophistication of the materials. And should the calligraphy, the texts apart from the Gründungskalligraphie, all derived from the Koran and praise the absolute power of the sultan.

Many of these verses of the Qur'an, such as from Sura 39 verse 73 refer to the paradise:

" But those who feared ( in their earthly life ) of their Lord, will in droves Paradise fed ( w. in paradise driven ). When they are finally get there, its gates will be opened ( for them), and its keepers will say: salvation be upon you! You are happy to praise (?). Come now in paradise ( w. in it ) in order to ( eternally therein) to bore you! "

Other inscriptions are located on the inputs, and thus interpret the mosque as the entrance to the garden of paradise on earth ( 13.24 and 16.32 ):

"They ( ie the angels ) say ( to them here ): salvation be upon you! Go to Paradise (for pay) for what you have done ( in your earthly life )! "

" Salvation be upon you! (This is your reward ) for that you were patient. What admirable last home! "

The cosmology is quoted in the Kuppelvers ( 35,41 ):

"God holds heaven and earth, so that they (not the place ) soft. And if they were soft ( from the site ), there would be no one who would then hold them ( w. upon him) (again). He is to forgive mild and ready. "

The radial font in the dome, which expires as the sun's rays, is similar to the way the ornaments, such as. Tents in the round of the Ottomans The dome as the firmament and the other way around, a very old Turkish symbol, which is already to be found in Central Asia.

Just as God holds the cosmos, so keep the four massive piers with the four calligraphies of the caliphs in the pendentives of the dome together. More Quran sayings promise to secure the faithful at the Orthodox follow the sharia a place in paradise - a historical reference at the same time and already taken place rivalries with the heterodox Iranian Safavids and the Qizilbasch.