Project Description
Süleymaniye Mosque
The Süleymaniye crowns one of İstanbul's seven hills and dominates the Golden Horn, providing a landmark for the entire city. It is the second largest Ottoman structure (after Selimiye Mosque in Edirne) ever built.
The mosque, built between 1550 and 1557, is in fact only one building in a set of structures consisting of schools, a hospital, a library and an almshouse, some of which are still functioning. This model is called "Külliye", and Süleymaniye is one of the best examples.
The "Süleymaniye Külliye" also contains the tombs of Sultan Suleyman he Magnificient who commissioned the construction, his wife Hürrem (Roxalena), and the architect Mimar Sinan, who is not less legendary than the Sultan himself. The lives of Sultan Suleyman and his wife Hürrem was the subject of a famous Tv soap opera called Magnificient Century aired in many countries.
It is a functioning mosque, so it can be visited anytime from 09:00 to 18:00, with paying attention to prayer times.