Who was Mimar Sinan?
Born around 1490 in a Christian village in central Anatolia, near Kayseri, Sinan was recruited young through the devşirme, the levy of boys destined for the sultan's service. He became a Janissary, then a military engineer, building bridges and ships during the campaigns of Suleiman the Magnificent. In the late 1530s he was appointed chief architect of the court, a post he held until his death in 1588. More than three hundred buildings are attributed to him: mosques, Koranic schools, hammams, caravanserais, bridges and aqueducts.
Sinan lies in a small tomb he designed for himself at the corner of the Süleymaniye Mosque complex, his most visited work. In his memoirs he described three stages of his career: the Şehzade Mosque, his apprentice work; the Süleymaniye, his journeyman work; and the Selimiye in Edirne, his masterpiece. That progression makes a good thread for a visit.
How to recognise a Sinan mosque
Sinan sought to cover the largest possible space with a single dome, without pillars blocking the view. Hagia Sophia, which he also reinforced, was both his model and his challenge. From one building to the next he tried different solutions: four half-domes around a square at Şehzade, two half-domes on the axis at the Süleymaniye, a hexagon or octagon of supports in smaller mosques, a single dome on four glazed arches at Edirnekapı.
A few shared features help you spot them: an arcaded courtyard with its ablution fountain, buttresses hidden in the galleries, walls pierced by many windows and decoration concentrated around the mihrab. Iznik tiles, rare in his early works, become spectacular in the mosques of the grand viziers of the 1560s and 1570s.
The key stages, from apprentice to master
Şehzade (1543-1548), the apprentice work
Commissioned by Suleiman on the death of his son Mehmed, the Şehzade Mosque is Sinan's first imperial mosque. Its perfectly symmetrical plan, a 19 m dome flanked by four half-domes, was later reused for the Blue Mosque, which is not by Sinan. Its two minarets carved with relief patterns are unique in his work.
Süleymaniye (1550-1557), the journeyman work
The Süleymaniye Mosque crowns the Third Hill with a dome 26.5 m across, rising to 53 m. It is the heart of a vast complex: schools, a hospital, a public kitchen, a hammam, and the tombs of Suleiman and his wife Roxelana. Its terrace offers one of the finest views over the Golden Horn.
Rüstem Pasha (around 1561-1563) and Sokollu Mehmed Pasha (1571-1572), the viziers' mosques
These two smaller mosques are the ones for tiles. The Rüstem Pasha Mosque, set above the shops of Tahtakale, is lined with Iznik tiles from floor to dome. The Sokollu Mehmed Pasha Mosque in Kadırga combines a dome on a hexagonal base, a tiled mihrab wall and fragments of the Black Stone of the Kaaba.
The two Mihrimah mosques
Sinan built two mosques for Mihrimah, Suleiman's daughter. The first, completed in 1548 opposite the ferry pier in Üsküdar, fronts its prayer hall with a wide portico. The second, at Edirnekapı, on the highest point of the old city, takes the idea of light to the extreme: a single 20 m dome carried on four arches whose tympana are almost entirely glazed.
Kılıç Ali Paşa (around 1580), a tribute to Hagia Sophia
In Tophane, on the Bosphorus, Sinan built a mosque around 1580 for Admiral Kılıç Ali Pasha whose plan is directly inspired by Hagia Sophia, on a smaller scale. The hammam of the same complex reopened in 2012; our Galata and Karaköy guide places it in the neighbourhood.
Selimiye in Edirne (1568-1575), the masterpiece
Sinan considered the Selimiye Mosque, built for Selim II in Edirne, about 230 km north-west of Istanbul, to be his masterpiece. Its dome, more than 31 m across, rests on eight piers, and its four slender minarets tower over the town. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, it reopened for worship on 12 June 2026 after four years of restoration. Our day trip to Edirne from Istanbul page covers the journey and the rest of the town.
One-day itinerary in the old city
This route follows Sinan's career in order, on foot and by tram, over about 5 km. Start early and plan around the midday prayer, which is longer on Fridays: better to do this walk on another day.
- Şehzade Mosque (9am): metro M2, Vezneciler-İstanbul Ü. station. Allow 30 to 45 minutes, including the garden of tombs. Take a look at the Aqueduct of Valens, close by.
- Süleymaniye Mosque (10.15am): about ten minutes on foot through the university streets. Allow an hour, with the tombs of Suleiman, Roxelana and Sinan, then the terrace.
- Rüstem Pasha Mosque (11.30am): about 15 minutes on foot downhill towards Eminönü through the shopping streets. If the midday prayer is close, have lunch first around the Spice Bazaar.
- Sokollu Mehmed Pasha Mosque (2.30pm): tram T1 from Eminönü to Sultanahmet, then 10 minutes on foot along the Hippodrome. Come just after the midday prayer, when the doors are open.
- Hürrem Sultan Hammam (late afternoon): on the square between Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque, this Sinan hammam rounds off the day; our guide to the best hammams in Istanbul gives its prices and those of the more affordable Çemberlitaş hammam.
For a second day
- Edirnekapı and the walls: the Mihrimah Sultan Mosque at Edirnekapı pairs with Chora (Kariye), about ten minutes' walk away, then the walk down to Balat and Fener.
- Üsküdar: by ferry from Eminönü, the Mihrimah Sultan Mosque faces the pier, the small Şemsi Pasha Mosque (1580-1581) sits by the water, and the Atik Valide Mosque (completed in 1583) stands on the heights. Our Üsküdar page details the route.
- Tophane: the Kılıç Ali Paşa Mosque pairs with Karaköy and nearby Istanbul Modern.
- Edirne: a full day, for the Selimiye.
Summary of Sinan's works to visit
| Mosque | Date | Patron | District | Access |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Şehzade | 1543-1548 | Suleiman, for his son Mehmed | Fatih (Şehzadebaşı) | M2 Vezneciler |
| Mihrimah Sultan | 1548 | Mihrimah, Suleiman's daughter | Üsküdar | Ferry or Marmaray, Üsküdar |
| Süleymaniye | 1550-1557 | Suleiman the Magnificent | Fatih (Süleymaniye) | M2 Vezneciler, T1 Beyazıt |
| Rüstem Pasha | around 1561-1563 | Rüstem Pasha, grand vizier | Eminönü | T1 Eminönü |
| Mihrimah Sultan | 1560s | Mihrimah, Suleiman's daughter | Edirnekapı | T4 Edirnekapı |
| Sokollu Mehmed Pasha | 1571-1572 | Sokollu Mehmed Pasha and İsmihan Sultan | Kadırga | T1 Sultanahmet |
| Selimiye | 1568-1575 | Selim II | Edirne | Day trip |
| Kılıç Ali Paşa | around 1580 | Kılıç Ali Pasha, grand admiral | Tophane | T1 Tophane |
| Şemsi Pasha | 1580-1581 | Şemsi Ahmed Pasha, vizier | Üsküdar | Ferry, Üsküdar |
| Atik Valide | completed 1583 | Nurbanu Sultan, mother of Murad III | Üsküdar | 20 minutes on foot from the pier |
Free entry everywhere, outside prayer times. Information checked in October 2026.
Tips for visiting Sinan's mosques
- Prayers: every mosque closes to visitors during the five daily prayers, whose times change with the sun, and on Fridays until the end of the midday prayer. Small mosques such as Sokollu may also stay locked between prayers.
- Dress: shoulders and knees covered for everyone, hair covered for women, shoes off at the entrance. All the rules are in our guide to visiting a mosque in Istanbul.
- Photos: allowed without flash, but do not photograph worshippers at prayer.
- Donations: entry is free; a donation box is sometimes placed by the exit, with no obligation.
Further reading
To place Sinan among the city's other great mosques, from Hagia Sophia to Çamlıca, read our pick of the most beautiful mosques in Istanbul. If you only have one day, the itinerary Istanbul in one day includes the Süleymaniye, and our Sultanahmet guide places the old city's mosques and hammam.
