Mimar (Architect) Sinan lived for 99 years, spanning the reigns of Sultan Bayezid II, Sultan Selim I, Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, Sultan Selim II, and Sultan Murad III. During the reign of Sultan Selim I, he was recruited as a devshirme and during the reign of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, he became the chief architect, a position he held for 50 years.
Sinan left his mark on over 900 structures, including mosques, baths, bridges, soup kitchens, schools, and tombs, either personally constructing them or overseeing their construction as the head of the Imperial Architects' Office. He is considered one of the most successful and prolific architects in history.
After being recruited in Kayseri, he was taken into the Acemi Oğlanlar Corps to become part of the Kapıkulu army, where he was given the name Sinan. In this corps, he was trained not only in military skills but also in the sciences and engineering.
During his military service, he participated in numerous campaigns alongside the sultans. In 1533, during Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent's campaign to Iran, Sinan gained great prestige by building and outfitting three galleys in two weeks to cross Lake Van. Upon his return from the Iranian campaign, he was given the prestigious rank of Haseki in the Janissary Corps. With this rank, he participated in the 1537 campaigns in Corfu and Apulia, and the 1538 campaign in Moldova. During the 1538 campaign in Karabogdan, when the army needed a bridge to cross the Prut River, and despite days of effort in the marshy area, no bridge could be built. The task was assigned to Sinan by the order of Grand Vizier Damat Çelebi Lütfi Pasha.
Immediately, I began the construction of a beautiful bridge over the mentioned water.
In ten days, I built a high bridge.
The army of Islam and all living beings crossed it with joy.
— Tezkiretü'l Bünyan ve Tezkiretü'l Ebniye (Sinan's autobiography)
After the construction of the bridge, Sinan was appointed as the Chief Architect at the age of 49, following 17 years of service in the Janissary Corps.
Although the thought of leaving my path in the Janissary Corps caused me sorrow,
I ultimately accepted, believing that architecture, by building mosques, would be a means to achieve many worldly and otherworldly desires.
He built over 700 monuments in his 50 years af chief architect. In his memoires right after he talks about his built of the Aqueducts of Forty Fountains there is a poem:
"O ruler of the stars, the sovereign of the world,
May the power of your state increase with each passing day.
The river has come, and thanks be to Allah
For the arrival of that stream.
All living beings in your land have attained peace.
Sultan Süleyman brought the springs,
And there is none who can set a limit to it.
The sultan poured treasures into the waterway.
Eorning and evening, those who drink should pray,
It reminded of the tongue that fed the people of Egypt.
It also led the people of Istanbul to be captivated by water.
We hope that those who drink from this pure bliss
Will also remember its poor architect with prayers."
Süleymaniye Mosque
« The decree of the sultan was announced on that date
He ordered me to build a beautiful mosque for him
At that time, I removed parts of the old Palace
Carefully laid the foundation of Süleymaniye
Those who possess skill will understand
They will see the kinds of arts that it posseses. »
First, those 4 marble columns,
Each from four distinguished places.
They are like cypress trees adorning the garden of faith.
Each came from a different land.
The Somaki umbrellas and pieces, which are unparalleled,
Are priceless like hidden tears.
These decorations, which amaze the viewers,
Were made by the skilled craftsmen of the era.
Similar works have neither been made until now,
Nor can they be made in the future.
The decorated windows, unmatched,
Change colors like the wings of Archangel Gabriel in every light,
Becoming a perpetual spring and an ornate rose garden.
The stone carvers and painters inscribed their skills into the records of time,
Engraving themselves into the slabs of delicate marble.
And the domes of that blessed mosque resembled the waves adorning the open sea.
Its high dome was bright and illuminated like a sun with golden embroidery in the sky.
The domes and minarets symbolized the beloved prophet of Islam and his four companions."
Later, Sinan recounts his memories of the rumors that caused him great distress during the construction of Süleymaniye Mosque.
However, for this worthless servant, some fools said,
"He is not capable of lifting the building from the scaffolding; his flaws are evident.
There is doubt about the dome standing; the man is obsessed with it,
Spending all his days, unable to find a solution,
Infatuated with his work to the point of madness."
This worthless servant, unaware of all these situations,
Was busy preparing the mihrab1 and minbar2 at the marble workers’ workshop
When the blessed sultan arrived.
I greeted him with respect and stood in his presence.
The sultan, who attained God’s mercy and forgiveness, asked this worthless and weak servant
About the state of the construction with great dignity and said,
“Why do you waste your time on insignificant things instead of attending to my mosque?
“How long will it take to complete this building? If there is any delay, you know what happens.”
Seeing the intensity of the sultan’s anger and wrath,
This weak ant became silent and speechless,
But finally, without looking at his face, these words came to my tongue with God’s power,
“Inshallah, it will be completed in two months in the empire of my blessed sultan.”
At that moment, the blessed sultan commanded the aghas at his feet,
“All of you ask him how long it will take to complete this building.”
When the aghas also asked “Do you hear what the blessed sultan commands?
When will the door of this building be closed and completed?”
I again said, “When these two months are completed, the building will be finished.”
The late sultan, taking the present aghas as witnesses, said,
“Architect, if it is not completed in two months, you know what happens,”
And they set out towards the palace.
When they reached the palace, he ordered the treasurer and other aghas,
“It is clear that the architect has lost his mind;
A few years’ work cannot be finished in two months.
The man lost his mind out of fear for his head.
Call him and see what he says. If his words are confused,
The state of the building will be in jeopardy.”
When the palace aghas came to this worthless servant and said,
“The sultan calls you to the palace,”
I quickly went.
The aghas asked,
“When will the building be completed?”
I said, “I promised the sultan that it would be completed in two months.”
They took witnesses, and I said, “Inshallah, I will complete it in two months and carve my name in history.”
Thus, appointing reliable supervisors, I divided the work into sections that could be done by contract.
We supervised the work day and night, without resting for a moment or an hour,
I supervised all with an iron staff.
Constantly, I prayed to the Almighty God:
“Oh God, for the sake of Your thousand names
For the honor of Your beloved prophet
For the nearness to Your presence
For the secret treasures of the saints
Let the foundation of this building be strong
Let it remain balanced as long as the world turns.”
Thus, with God’s help and the sultan’s support,
The construction of the mosque was completed in two months without any deficiency,
And the door of the building was ready to be closed.
One morning, like the rising sun, the sultan of the world arrived.
Praying, I handed the holy mosque’s key to his blessed hands.
Praying, the blessed sultan turned to the chief servant and said,
“Who is the most suitable and deserving person to open the door of the mosque?”
“My sultan, your servant, the architect, is an honorable old man.
He has contributed the most to this matter.”
Then, the sultan of all people and souls said:
“Come, my dear, the house of God built with faith should be opened first by you with your pure heart and prayer,” and he gave the key to me with prayer and thanks to God.
« I could not find the key to the treasure of divine success,
Except for shouting from the bottom of my heart many times:
‘O Fattah’ 3»
- Mihrab is the hollow and recessed area in the middle of the wall facing the kıble (mekke), where the imam stands in front of the congregation while leading prayers in a mosque. ↩︎
- Minber (Pulpit), It is a structure with stairs on which the sermon is read. In general, it is built to the right of the mihrab in the mosque from an architectural perspective. It is an integral structure inside the mosque, designed with stairs so that the imam can address the congregation from a high place. ↩︎
- “O Fattah” is one of the 99 names of Allah in Islam, meaning “The Opener” or “The One who opens the way. ».
Sinan emphasizes that true success and the unlocking of divine blessings require sincere and heartfelt prayers and invocations.
The phrase “from the bottom of my heart many times” indicates the necessity of genuine, deep, and repeated supplication. ↩︎