Süleymaniye Mosque
Süleymaniye is an architectural masterpiece that is considered to be the most harmonious, marvelous and famous mosque in Istanbul. The mosque was built during the height of the power of the Ottoman Empire. This creation of the great Sinan is worthy of Suleiman the Magnificent. On the territory of the complex are the mausoleums of the sultan and his wife Roksolana. The huge mosque made of dark gray stone was built for seven years and completed in 1557. The mausoleum of the sultan is the largest of those built by Sinan. The mausoleum of the master himself is in a secluded corner behind the caravanserai. The complex also includes theological schools, a hospital, baths, and kitchens.
A masterpiece for the ages
The mosque was built in the mid-16th century, and the longest phase of construction was the creation of an unusual structure of underground chambers and supports that were designed to protect the almost fifty-meter-high structure from earthquakes and sliding down the hill into the bay. The system has withstood many years of testing, and the Suleymaniye Mosque has not been damaged in any of the numerous earth tremors. But the sliding into the bay, alas, can not be prevented, and sooner or later the beautiful creation will still go under water irretrievably.In the meantime, inside Sulaymaniye believers can offer prayers in the boundless space.
.The huge dome is supported by striped pointed arches that rest on powerful granite columns. They come from Baalbek in Lebanon, whose fame had already then spread throughout the eastern world. The half-domes above the mihrab are in perfect harmony with the small domes of the adjoining rooms, and the light penetrating through one hundred and thirty expensive stained glass windows creates a sense of flight and freedom.
.Suleiman the Magnificent: The Story of One Love
The mosque was built on the orders of the great Suleiman the Lawgiver, the sultan considered the greatest of his dynasty and called the Magnificent. It was he who led the empire to its highest prosperity. Warlike and powerful, the Sultan is famous not only for the numerous battles from which he emerged victorious. He is known for his tender love for one of his wives, the beautiful Hurem Sultan, whom the world knows as Roxolana. There is a legend that she was the daughter of a Ukrainian Orthodox priest and was named Alexandra Lisovskaya. The girl was taken captive by the Crimean Tatars, who made regular raids on her homeland, and presented to Suleiman the Magnificent as a concubine.
.Much water has flowed from the Bosphorus since those distant years. Roxolana, along with her husband, whom she loved with all her heart, is buried in the cemetery adjacent to the Suleymaniye Mosque. And at the left small minaret rests the one whose efforts and was erected all this splendor – the architect Sinan, who, according to the words of Suleiman the Magnificent, the only one who never disappointed him.
.To see a sample of medieval Muslim architecture is very easy, you just need to buy a plane ticket to Istanbul and fly to this wonderful city on the Bosphorus. The mosque is open daily for everyone who decided to spend May vacations, vacations or vacations in Istanbul. Entrance is free, and you can get to the famous structure by metro or cab.
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