There are some moments when you feel the peace in your soul… Visiting mosques is the recipe for these moments for me. They are my dearest places that I love the most. They are where I feel at peace when I enter, which is why I am glad to sit in their gardens and the reason that I gladly accept the fact that I will die someday!
For this reason, when I was asked to describe an important building representing the history of Turkey, the first place to come to my mind was one of these mosques. Suleymaniye Mosque..
The Suleymaniye Mosque was built by the great architect Sinan between 1550 and 1557 at the order of Süleyman the Magnificent. The Süleymaniye, more than a mosque, is an important historical symbol for the Turks. It unites Architect Sinan with Süleyman, one representing the best of the arts and the other most powerful of political strength.
Mimar Sinan made the world’s most beautiful works of art. His work can be seen in many cities; from Kayseri to Istanbul and from Mecca to Vishegrad. He built 84 mosques, 52 Masjid, 57 madrasa, 7 darulkuma, 20 tombs, 17 İmarrets, 3 Darülşifa, 5 Waterway, 8 Bridges, 20 Caravanserai, 36 Palaces, 8 Mahsen, 48 Hamam (totally built 365 works) untill he died aged 99. He left beautiful works that make the world even more beautiful. One of the most important reasons I want to talk about Suleymaniye mosque is that I admire Mimar Sinan who is sensitive and precise and thought captiously, studied well and did well!
According to rumour, Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent called Architect Sinan to make a mosque and assigned him to this work. However, the Magnificent was undecided about where the mosque should be built, and he prayed and slept to ask Allah to show him the best place. He saw the Prophet Muhammad. The Prophet Muhammad showed him where he wanted the mosque to be built and described the mosque. The next morning, Kanuni invited Mimar Sinan to his presence again, and took him to the place where the mosque was to be built. Mimar Sinan began to explain the plan of the mosque and Kanuni was very surprised because the mosque described by Mimar Sinan is the same as the mosque that Prophet Muhammad had described to him. Sinan’s answer is as follows: “Yes my Sultan, I was behind you while The Prophet was describing mosque…”
Regardless of which direction Suleymaniye, the architect Sinan’s work is looked upon in balanced harmony can be observed throughout the composition. The walls, which are both a carrier and a limiting element in the architecture, were not used for carriage in the Suleymaniye Mosque. For this reason, the wall has become suitable for the use of plenty of windows. However, the abundance of the windows equipped with embroidered glass did not weaken the walls of Süleymaniye Mosque in any way.
Construction was then suspended for one year to secure the foundation of the mosque. The Iranian shah Tahmasb Khan thought that the reason for the suspension of the construction was due to financial strains in the Ottoman Empire. Tahmasb Khan sends a caravan full of jewels and goods to Süleyman the magnificent to show the magnitude of his power and to continue the construction. Suleiman the magnificient reads the letter that comes with jewels and goods. The angry Suleiman the magnificient gave the goods to the public in front of the envoy. The jewellery was given to Mimar Sinan and he was ordered to mix them with mosque’s stones. In this way, he said that every stone of the mosque is much more valuable than these jewels. Thus the shining ‘Cevahir Minaresi’ was made with these jewels..
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| ”ALLAH IS THE LIGHT OF THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH. THE EXAMPLE OF HIS LIGHT IS LIKE A NICHE WITHIN WHICH IS A LAMP, THE LAMP IS WITHIN GLASS, THE GLASS AS IF IT WERE A PEARLY [WHITE] STAR LIT FROM [THE OIL OF] A BLESSED OLIVE TREE, NEITHER OF THE EAST NOR OF THE WEST, WHOSE OIL WOULD ALMOST GLOW EVEN IF UNTOUCHED BY FIRE. LIGHT UPON LIGHT. ALLAH GUIDES TO HIS LIGHT WHOM HE WILLS. AND ALLAH PRESENTS EXAMPLES FOR THE PEOPLE, AND ALLAH IS KNOWING OF ALL THINGS” AN-NUR 24:35, THE QURAN
The mosque and the Islamic-Ottoman social complex was built for as long as 7 years. Malicious people began to take advantage of the slow progress and spread rumours about how architect Sinan smoked hookah at Mosque. These rumours were also heard by Suleiman. He didn’t want to believe them and went to the mosque to check on Sinan. What a sight he saw! Architect Sinan, like the people said, is smoking hookah at the mihrab! Kanuni says ‘You know that you cannot smoke in a mosque. You don’t do that.. What is the hikmet (hidden cause) of this behaviour?’ Mimar Sinan answered “My Sultan, there is no tobacco in hookah, it is just the water. I’m just looking at how the voice spreads through the mosque, which is the sound of the bubble. If the voice is spreading equally to every corner, everyone in the mosque will comfortably hear the voice of the teacher while reading the Quran. That’s why I’m checking if the voice is spreading in the mosque.” Thus, Süleymaniye mosque has a wonderful acoustics that conveys the sound to the corner point and allows it to spread.
Another feature of the Süleymaniye Mosque is the lamp black room. 275 lamps and a mosque illuminated with 2 giant candles placed beside the mihrab were also pulled from the 4 small windows that open out of the middle door to the lamp black room to prevent damage to the mosque. Later on, the ink was also obtained. All the political, religious and administrative edicts of that period were written with this ink.
Lastly, I want to talk about the ostrich eggs that Mimar Sinan placed in the chandelier. The ostrich eggs spread a scent that a man does not smell, but keeps scorpions, spiders, and other creatures away. Thus the mosque is protected from spider webs and pests.
I hope you will come to Istanbul and discover with your own eyes more knowledge about this beautiful mosque with many more secrets!
Do not forget to stop by and see these cute cats in the garden! Have a day that you feel in peace in your soul!
Love, Dilara
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