Mihrimah Mosque
Encyclopedia
The Mihrimah Sultan Mosque is an Ottoman
mosque
located just inside the Edirne Kapisi on the Byzantine land walls
of Istanbul
, Turkey
. Located on the peak of the Sixth Hill near the highest point of the city, the mosque is a prominent landmark in Istanbul.
, Princess Mihrimah. Its building took place from 1562 to 1565. The complex has been severely damaged by earthquake
s several times (including 1719, 1766, 1814 and 1894), and although efforts were made to restore the mosque, its attendant buildings received less attention. The dome was further damaged during 1999 İzmit earthquake
, and required restoration, along with the upper half of the minaret.
is divided into individual cells forming a madrasah
surrounds the mosque. In the center of the courtyard is a large ablution
fountain (sadirvan
). Entry to the mosque is through an imposing porch of seven domed bays with marble
and granite
columns. The mosque itself is a cube topped by a half-sphere, with symmetrical multi-windowed tympana
on each of the four sides. The dome is supported by four towers, one in each corner; its base is pierced by windows. The single minaret
is tall and slender; during the 1894 earthquake it crashed through the roof of the mosque.
.
The interior stencil decorations are all modern. However, the mimbar in carved white marble is from the original construction.
which included (besides madrasah) a double hamman, türbe
and a low row of shops under the terrace upon which the mosque was built, whose rents were intended to financially support the mosque complex.
The complex does not include the grave of Mihrimah Sultana herself (which is located at the Süleymaniye Mosque, but a ruined türbe (which is also a work of Sinan) behind the mosque houses the graves of her son-in-law, Grand Vizier
Semiz Ali Pasha, as well as many other members of her family.
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
located just inside the Edirne Kapisi on the Byzantine land walls
Walls of Constantinople
The Walls of Constantinople are a series of defensive stone walls that have surrounded and protected the city of Constantinople since its founding as the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire by Constantine the Great...
of Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
. Located on the peak of the Sixth Hill near the highest point of the city, the mosque is a prominent landmark in Istanbul.
History
The Mihrimah Sultan Mosque was designed by Mimar Sinan ("Sinan the Architect") for the favorite daughter of Suleiman the MagnificentSuleiman the Magnificent
Suleiman I was the tenth and longest-reigning Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, from 1520 to his death in 1566. He is known in the West as Suleiman the Magnificent and in the East, as "The Lawgiver" , for his complete reconstruction of the Ottoman legal system...
, Princess Mihrimah. Its building took place from 1562 to 1565. The complex has been severely damaged by earthquake
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
s several times (including 1719, 1766, 1814 and 1894), and although efforts were made to restore the mosque, its attendant buildings received less attention. The dome was further damaged during 1999 İzmit earthquake
1999 Izmit earthquake
The 1999 İzmit earthquake was a 7.6 magnitude earthquake that struck northwestern Turkey on August 17, 1999, at about 3:02am local time. The event lasted for 37 seconds, killing around 17,000 people and leaving approximately half a million people homeless...
, and required restoration, along with the upper half of the minaret.
Exterior
The mosque was built on a terrace overlooking the main street. A large courtyard (avlu) whose interior porticoPortico
A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls...
is divided into individual cells forming a madrasah
Madrasah
Madrasah is the Arabic word for any type of educational institution, whether secular or religious...
surrounds the mosque. In the center of the courtyard is a large ablution
Islamic hygienical jurisprudence
Hygiene is a prominent topic in Islam. Islam has always placed a strong emphasis on personal hygiene. Other than the need to be ritually clean in time for the daily prayer through Wudu and Ghusl, there are a large number of other hygiene-related rules governing the lives of Muslims...
fountain (sadirvan
Sadirvan
Sadirvan is type of fountain that is usually built in the yard or entrance in front of mosques, caravanserais, khanqahs and madrasahs, with main purpose of providing water for drinking or ritual ablutions, but also as decorative visual or sound element....
). Entry to the mosque is through an imposing porch of seven domed bays with marble
Marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite.Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.Marble is commonly used for...
and granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
columns. The mosque itself is a cube topped by a half-sphere, with symmetrical multi-windowed tympana
Tympanum (architecture)
In architecture, a tympanum is the semi-circular or triangular decorative wall surface over an entrance, bounded by a lintel and arch. It often contains sculpture or other imagery or ornaments. Most architectural styles include this element....
on each of the four sides. The dome is supported by four towers, one in each corner; its base is pierced by windows. The single minaret
Minaret
A minaret مناره , sometimes مئذنه) is a distinctive architectural feature of Islamic mosques, generally a tall spire with an onion-shaped or conical crown, usually either free standing or taller than any associated support structure. The basic form of a minaret includes a base, shaft, and gallery....
is tall and slender; during the 1894 earthquake it crashed through the roof of the mosque.
Interior
The interior is a cube under a dome 20 m in diameter and 37 m high. On the north and south sides, triple arcades supported by granite columns open onto side aisles with galleries above, each with three domed bays. A vast amount of surface area is covered by windows, making the mosque one of the brightest lit of any of Sinan's works. Some of the windows contain stained glassStained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
.
The interior stencil decorations are all modern. However, the mimbar in carved white marble is from the original construction.
Complex
As built, the Mihrimah Sultan Mosque had a kulliyeKulliye
Kollyaii refers to the regions Songhor سنقر and Koliai . Kollyaii is a mountainous county in Kermanshah Province, which is in the west of Iran. According to 1996 census, Sonqor had a population of 112,214. It consists of two districts: the central district and nine townships...
which included (besides madrasah) a double hamman, türbe
Turbe
Türbe is the Turkish word for "tomb", and for the characteristic mausoleums, often relatively small, of Ottoman royalty and notables. It is related to the Arabic turba, which can also mean a mausoleum, but more often a funerary complex, or a plot in a cemetery.-Characteristics:A typical türbe...
and a low row of shops under the terrace upon which the mosque was built, whose rents were intended to financially support the mosque complex.
The complex does not include the grave of Mihrimah Sultana herself (which is located at the Süleymaniye Mosque, but a ruined türbe (which is also a work of Sinan) behind the mosque houses the graves of her son-in-law, Grand Vizier
Grand Vizier
Grand Vizier, in Turkish Vezir-i Azam or Sadr-ı Azam , deriving from the Arabic word vizier , was the greatest minister of the Sultan, with absolute power of attorney and, in principle, dismissable only by the Sultan himself...
Semiz Ali Pasha, as well as many other members of her family.