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Mimar Sinan was born on 1489 and raised in the village of Ağırnas in Kayseri. He died in Istanbul
in 1588. Sinan’ parents were Greek Orthodox Christians; his father was a stonemason and a
carpenter from whom he learned the skills and knowledge about building work. At twenty-one
years old he was draft from his family due to the Devshirme system and began to work for the
Caliph court. He studied in auxiliary schools where mathematics and carpentry were taught and
by being part of the Ottoman Janissary, he soon developed his career as an architect.
He started building ships, wooden bridges, and all sort of wooden constructions. Later, his skills
improved as he participated on numerous ottoman military campaigns as the ones of Belgrade
(1521), Vienna (1529), Baghdad (1535) and expeditions to Corfu, Apulia and Moldavia in 1537.
For his bravery and outstanding work, he was promoted as the chief firework operator. Once the
city of Cairo was conquered by the ottoman militia, he led the construction plan for the city and
for the other captured territories he converted churches into mosques. In the 1534 Persian war, he
built ferries for the army to cross through Lake Van. Also, he built a bridge across the Danube for
army access at Wallachia now Romania. For all these works he gained fame and admiration and
proved himself as an architect and engineer therefore he was again promoted as the chief of
military constructions. Sinan’ talent attracted the interest of Ottoman Sultans who delegated him
as chief architect for the construction of all public works and he trained a team of assistants,
deputies and pupils. Sinan profession reached the peak once Sultan Süleyman gave him the
position of State Architect and from there his career lasted through the mandate of Selim II, and
Murat III. Sinan’ works were estimated to be around 370 buildings including 92 mosques, 52 small
mosques, 55 schools, 20 mausoleums, 17 public kitchens, 3 hospitals, 6 aqueducts, 10 bridges, 20
rest houses, 36 palaces, and 48 baths. The most acclaimed structures from Sinan are both in
Istanbul the Şehzade Mosque as a result of an apprentice, the Süleymaniye Mosque as a result of
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a trainee master, and the Selimiye Mosque the fruit of a master craftsman in Edirne which is
considered world architectural history and a masterwork by Sinan himself.
The main characteristics that distinguish Sinan style are the emphasis of the domes structure and
space proportions. Sinan adapted the models of Byzantine churches for his mosques and so large
open spaces for common prayer were meet for Muslim worship. Istanbul transformed into a more
efficient and aesthetic urban city, filled with domes, minarets, and palace complexes, the city
counted with aqueducts and tunnels that allowed water supply to the public buildings, public
fountains and palaces. The Süleymaniye Mosque ordered by Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent between
1551-1557 was maintained with a half-dome like Hagia Sophia; in the four corners of the mosque courtyard
were located minarets of different dimensions and some minarets facing north had balconies. For an efficient
illumination, 32 windows were spread along the main dome of the mosque. The intricate analysis that
Sinan put into his works were so far innovative for that times. Before a project was to be built, he
initially studied the territories and typography. Sinan always made calculations beforehand and applied
his unique mathematics called "unit circle method.". He had to wait several months or even years to
start the construction and for that the Süleymaniye complex has stood firm through the over 100
earthquakes that has occurred in Istanbul. Also, to prevent humidity inside the buildings, he
installed a sewer system or drainage for a better hot and cold air circulation. Sinan's mausoleum is
in this complex which view from above has the form of compasses. Environment was protected and
sustainability rules respected by Sinan for example he used a large amount of oil lamps and candles to
light up the buildings. Smoke and burn oxygen were a drawback but he calculated the air flow to
drive the smoke to a filter chamber on the main entrance door. Later the smut collected served for
ink production, decorations and calligraphers.
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Sinan trained a school of architects including his apprentices Davut Ağa, Dalgiç Ahmed and
Mehmet Ağa who followed his structural experiments and conveyed them in post-classical
masterpieces as the New Mosque, the mausoleum of Murad II and the Sultan Ahmet mosque.
Hence Sinan’s heritage has been predominant and has served as models for all later Turkish
religious and civic architecture.
References
Sinan. (2020, July 13). Encyclopædia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Sinan
Mimar Sinan: Master Arquitect who shaped Ottoman Lands. (2018, April 12). DAILY SABAH.
https://www.dailysabah.com/feature/2018/04/12/mimar-sinan-master-architect-whoshaped ottoman-lands
Yalav-Heckeroth, F. (2017, October 5). Mimar Sinan: The Ottoman Empire’s Most Important
Architect. The Culture Trip. https://theculturetrip.com/europe/turkey/articles/mimar-sinanthe-ottoman-empires-most-important-architect/
Saoud, R. (2007, June). Sinan: A Great Ottoman Architect and Urban Designer. Foundation for
Science Technology and Civilisation.
https://muslimheritage.com/uploads/Mimar_Sinan_Great_Ottoman_Architect.pdf
Mimar Sinan. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.cs.bilkent.edu.tr/~bedir/CS411/Miscellaneous/MimarSinan.htm