Suleymaniye Mosque

Suleiman Mosque is the city’s largest mosque; it took 7 years to build and was completed in 1557. The mosque was part of a complex which includes a hospital, soup kitchen, hospice, Turkish bath, stores, madrasa religious schools, caravanserai and the tombs of Suleyman and his wife Roxelana as well as other royals. Suleiman’s tomb was designed to resemble the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem. The mosque is crowned by four minarets, two of them reaching 74 meters and the other two 56 meters. The four minarets symbolize that Suleyman was the fourth Sultan after the conquest of Constantinople (the 10th Sultan of the Ottoman Empire). The mosque has an inner and outer courtyard; the inner courtyard can be used by worshipers and has domes to protect them from the sun or rain and an ablution fountain.

Inside the mosque floors are covered by thick carpets and huge chandeliers provide the light together with natural light from the 183 windows. The central dome has a diameter of 27 meters and is 53 meters above the floor. The mosque suffered fire damage in 1660 and was restored giving it a more Baroque appearance. The mosque is known for its brilliant acoustics.Read more