The cascading domes and four slender minarets of the Imperial Suleymaniye Mosque dominate the skyline on the Golden Horn's west bank. Considered the most beautiful of all imperial mosques in Istanbul, it was built between 1550 and 1557 by Sinan, the renowned architect of the Ottoman Empire's golden age. Erected on the crest of a hill, the building is conspicuous for its great size, emphasized by the four minarets that rise from each comer of the courtyard. Inside are the mihrab (prayer niche showing the direction to Mecca) and the mimber (pulpit) made of finely carved white marble and exquisite stained-glass windows coloring the incoming streams of light. It was in the gardens of this complex that Suleyman and his wife, Hurrem Sultan (Roxelane), had their mausolea built, and near here also Sinan built his own tomb. The mosque complex also includes four medreses, or theological schools, a school of medicine, a caravanserai, a Turkish bath, and a kitchen and hospice for the poor.


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10/10, no doupt...

fantastic, ful of doms 10/10

10/10
fantastic shape and location

10 of course!

i voted even before the images got fully loaded :)
10/10

A masterpiece, 9.5/10

10/10.

:cheers:

The best mosque in Istanbul IMO
10/10 :)

10 !!!!

:omg:

http://img224.imageshack.us/img224/3113/kemalbereketsuleymaniyee7oe.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img174.echo.cx/img174/630/farukoncanimg12158dz.jpg

:omg:

http://wowturkey.com/tr45/kemal_bereket_suleymaniyee.jpg
:eek2: :eek2: :eek2:
so surreal, magical, amazing, wonderfull...
who did take this photo, i congratulate him/her

@urbangirl

Kemal Bereket from Wowturkey took this shot from minaret of another mosque. He has great jobs, you should visit wowturkey when you have time!

9/10

10/10

10/10

A terrific piece of architecture. Just looking at interior domes architecture is priceless.

9/10

impressive

9.5/10 love this

9.5/10 A masterpiece worthy of preservation :okay:

10/10

So GRAND!

10/10

10/10

Beautiful 9/10.

Forgive my ignorance but is this the Hagia Sofia?
For if it's not they look quite the same...8,5/10

10/10

9/10

9.5/10

10/10

10/10

:applause:

11/10

8/10

10/10!:cheers:

9.5/10

I am not muslim but that structure is just BEAUTIFUL. 10 of course

10/10

@urbangirl

Kemal Bereket from Wowturkey took this shot from minaret of another mosque. He has great jobs, you should visit wowturkey when you have time!

Actually, his real name is "Aydın Sertbaş". Kemal Bereket was his non-de-plume I thhink...

10

9/10

9,5/10

9/10

8.5/10

10. Excellent. Regards.

9/10

9/10

Awesome! 10 / 10

Some recent photos of the Süleymaniye Mosque, taken mid January, 2011:
(Source (http://s930.photobucket.com/albums/ad150/mimephotobucket/2011_Journey_1_Istanbul/?albumview=slideshow))

http://i930.photobucket.com/albums/ad150/mimephotobucket/2011_Journey_1_Istanbul/ADSCF9419_pano_2_ji_ji.jpg

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great 10/10

9/10

10/10

9/10

10/10

8.5/10