Mimar Sinan

Mimar Sinan was the most celebrated architect and engineer of the Ottoman Empire, who served under the sultans Suleiman the Magnificent, Selim II, and Murad III. He was born in a small village in Anatolia, and was recruited into the Janissary corps at a young age. He received a military education and became a skilled engineer, building fortifications, roads, bridges, and aqueducts during various campaigns. He also developed an interest in architecture and studied the works of previous masters. He rose through the ranks and became the chief royal architect around the age of 50. He remained in this position for almost 50 years, during which he designed and supervised the construction of more than 300 buildings, including mosques, schools, hospitals, palaces, caravanserais, and mausoleums. He also trained many assistants and apprentices, who continued his legacy and influenced the development of Ottoman architecture. His style was characterized by a harmonious blend of Islamic, Byzantine, Persian, and Renaissance elements, as well as a mastery of geometry, proportion, and aesthetics. He experimented with different types of domes, vaults, columns, and arches, and created innovative solutions for structural and technical challenges. He was also attentive to the environmental and social aspects of his buildings, and incorporated features such as gardens, fountains, libraries, and public baths. Some of his most famous works are the Suleymaniye Mosque and the Selimiye Mosque, which are considered among the finest examples of Ottoman architecture. He died in 1588, at the age of 100, and was buried in a tomb of his own design, near the Suleymaniye Mosque. He is widely regarded as the greatest architect of the classical period of Ottoman architecture, and has been compared to Michelangelo, his contemporary in the West. He is also revered as a national hero in Turkey, and many streets, schools, and institutions are named after him.