For Suleiman the Magnificent, architect Sinan built between 1550 and 1557, the Süleymaniye Mosque, on a hill in Istambul, held by Turkish poets such as the sublime expression of the splendor and joy. This Selatin mosque (so called because it has several minarets and to be the kind of those built by the sultans and their families) is considered the most beautiful of the imperial mosques of Istanbul. Its proportions are harmonious; the internal dimensions are 70 m long and 61 m wide, 138 windows, the dome itself has 32, it is supported on the sides by half-domes. There is a square portico crowned with 28 domes supported by 24 ancient monolithic columns. There is an ablution fountain in the center of the court. The silhouette of the mosque with its slender minarets 4 ringed with ten balconies (indicating that Suleiman was the fourth Ottoman sultan in Istanbul and the tenth of the Ottoman dynasty), dominates the skyline of the southern shore line of the Golden Horn.
Süleymaniye complex includes urban organization expanded in a vast area with a Koranic school, a hospital, a public bath, a hospice, six theological colleges, shops and the mausoleums of the sultan and his wife. The Turks gives social nature to religious buildings.
Tips
You can enjoy your visit to use the hammam (30 minutes) and also to have a massage (15 minutes). A moment of relaxation that many tourists enjoy. It is best to make a reservation.
The mosque is located in a park where you can have a beautiful view of the junction of the Golden Horn (name given to the channel Haliç ), the Bosphorus and the Sea of Marmara. Keep your camera in hand, it is worth it.
