The Great Architect
Sinan
   
   
The Life of The Great Architect Sinan
 The information we have on the life and personality of Sinan is
rather limited. We have neither manuscripts nor theoretical
expositions written by him. If there are any sketches or plans
anonymously drawn by him as was the practice at the time, they have
not reached us.
Sinan was a Christian born in Ağırnas village, in Kayseri province.
We do not know the precise date of his birth, but it must have been
somewhere between 1494 and 1499. He was recruited in 1512 or 1513 by
the "devşirme" to be enrolled in the Janissary Corps. It was the
first time a child was recruited for that purpose in the Kayseri
region. Sinan must have been between fourteen and eighteen years old
at the time. Some of the Christian children who were recruited into
the Devşirme system became part of the Janissary Corps, while others
were sent to the palace after receiving an education, and served the
government. Sinan was trained in the Acemi Ocağı, a sort of palace
school, where he learnt carpentry and worked on building sites.
During the reign of Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent, he became a
member of the Janissary Corps in the Belgrade and Rhodes campaigns
in 1521 and 1522 resprectively, after which he was given the rank of
"Atlısekban." He was promoted to the rank of "Yayabaşı" after the
Mohacs battle, and later to that of "Kapıyayabaşı." He participated
in the German campaign between 1529-32 as a "Zemberekçibaşı," as
well as in the Iran and Baghdad campaigns (the Irakeyn campaign) in
1534-1535. He built three fully equipped and armed galleys for the
crossing of Lake Van. As a result of this and his other achievements
as an engineer in previous campaigns, he was promoted to the rank of
"Haseki" in the sultan's bodyguard. After the Puglia and Korfu
campaigns (1537), he won wide acclaim for the bridge he built in a
very short time during the Moldavian campaign. During this campaign,
the chief architect,Acem Alisi died, upon which the Sadrazam (Prime
Minister) Lütfi Paşa appointed Sinan, then a "Subaşı"
(Superintendent), to the post of "Mimarbaşı" (Chief Architect).
Sinan's previous achievements in civil architecture played an
important role in this promotion. When recalling this event, Sinan
says he was sad to leave the army but happy to have the opportunity
to accomplish other important things such as building mosques. Sinan
was already of a mature age when he became chief architect. He had
seen monuments and works of different cultures during the campaigns
in which he participated both in the west and in the east. He had
been faced with problems that needed rapid solutions, and the army
had given him discipline, self-control and organizational skills.
The training and experience he had must have helped him develop his
skills in designing and in administration. Sinan's career as chief
architect lasted for some fifty years.
According to the documents which list his works, he designed,
supervised, built or restored as many as 400 buildings. But if we
consider the fact that he was in charge of the Imperial Corps of
Architects and that Ottoman territory was vast , it becomes
difficult to conceive that all these works were personally produced
by Sinan. However, with the exception of those built towards the end
of his life, the buildings erected in Istanbul are assumed to be
his. Moreover most of Sinan's smaller buildings have not survived in
their original form, however the works Sinan had created in Istanbul
are sufficient to demonstrate his enormous contribution to Turkish
architecture.
Architects do not seem to have held an important place in the
Ottoman State protocol. At a time when the empire was very powerful,
Sinan designed buildings for three successive sultans, as well as
for numerous palace notables, a sure sign that he enjoyed great
popularity and was much appreciated as an architect. The fact that
Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent would have asked Sinan to lead the
opening ceremony for the Süleymaniye Mosque even though he had had
it built in his own name, is another unmistakable indication of such
appreciation and esteem. According to the charter of the vakıf he
founded in 1563, Sinan was able to acquire a fortune including 18
mansions, 38 shops, 9 houses, land, mills, small mosques and
schools. In 1583 he made a pilgrimage to Mecca, and had his life
story and a list of his works recorded by a poet friend. According
to the inscription on his tomb, which is situated next to the
Süleymaniye Mosque, Sinan died in 1588.
Sinan obviously had a perfect understanding of the topography of
Istanbul, the city in which he designed so many buildings, and he
was able to make the most of this knowledge. It is probably not
wrong to suppose that he must have visited and studied the
architecture of Saint Sophia very often.
At that time, Istanbul was a developed city, which was adorned with
hundreds of new buildings, some of which were ordered built by the
most powerful Ottoman Sultans, such as Fatih Sultan Mehmet and
Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent, as well as their relatives and high
ranking state officials. All the revenues of the Empire flowed into
the city where the best artisans and artists gathered. Sinan was at
the head of an organisation in charge of the vast territories of the
Empire, with numerous buildings being built in such places
stretching from Bosnia to Bagdad and from Crimea to Yemen. Sinan had
had the opportunity to travel to many countries, where he studied
and closely analyzed much of the architecture. Besides his sense of
space, he had acquired vast knowledge regarding buttressing systems.
That he should have designed the Şehzade Mosque only two years after
being named chief architect is an indication not only of his
architectural skills, but also of his vast experience and
perception. Throughout his life, Sinan constantly studied, carried
out experiments and sought answers to problems in topography, space,
mass and buttresses. In doing so, he provided diverse and highly
elaborate solutions, which make him the great master of Ottoman, and
even Islamic architecture. Top
The Works of Sinan
According to the sources available on Sinan's career, he produced
more than four hundred works. It may be safer to say that these
works were built or restored during his lifetime. We shall not
attempt to describe each and every one of Sinan's works but rather
focus on the most important ones, as well as those which are most
representative of his art.
Religious complexes (Külliyes) had diverse public service functions,
the most important of which was religious. The main building of the
complex was the mosque, followed by the medrese or theological
seminary. The complex would usually also include the following: a
soup kitchen or refectory, guesthouse, hospital, school, public
bath, fountain, water distribution kiosk and shops. The tomb of the
person who had ordered the project would generally be situated
within the complex. Külliyes situated on the main caravan routes
would include in addition to the kervansaray, a prayer hall, hamam,
soup kitchen, shops and stables. The külliyes were powerful social
poles, and the fact that they were conceived as vakıfs ensured their
continuity. The activities carried out in these complexes
considerably stimulated the urban development of the areas in which
they were built. Therefore, many külliyes were built in newly
settled areas in order to help in their development. The duties and
rights of each külliye were specified in detail in the foundation's
charter and the people in charge of the vakıf implemented the
regulations in the charter.
The külliyes designed by Sinan were exquisitely conceived, be it
from the standpoint of the site chosen, integration with rough
terrain, or as regards harmony achieved with the city's general
skyline. Most of Sinan’s structures are situated on hilltops or
along the seashore where they can be easily seen. They strike the
eye as one approaches the city, constituting an inseparable part of
its silhouette. The choice of the site is not only related to the
Külliye's appearance from afar, but also to the view one has of the
city from inside the complex, a view enhanced with the spectacle of
the sea offered by the shores of the Bosphorus and Golden Horn.
Sinan was especially skilled in adopting his design to sloping
terrains. Solving such problems seems to have been like some sort of
entertaining crossword puzzle for him. The buildings which
constitute the külliye are very skilfully situated at levels
corresponding to their function and importance. The final result is
a well graded complex offering a fine appearance visible from afar,
and forming an organic whole dominated by the mosque. Top
Some of The
Masterpieces of Architect Sinan
Suleymaniye
Mosque
Mihrimah
Sultan Mosque
Inner views of Selimiye Mosque/Edirne
Haseki Hamami (Turkish Bath)
Sokollu (Selim II) Kulliyesi/Hatay Payas (Kulliye is complex of
buildings adjacent to a mosque).
Sokollu Mosque/Kadirga/Istanbul
Mihrimah Sultan Mosque/Uskudar
Top
Some of His
Other Works
Haseki Külliyesi
Şehzade Külliyesi
Süleymaniye Külliyesi
Atik Valide Külliyesi, Üsküdar
Sokollu Külliyesi, Lüleburgaz
Süleymaniye Külliyesi, Şam
Sokollu (Selim II) Külliyesi, Hatay Payas
Camiler (mosques)
Dört Dayanaklı - Tek Kubbeli Camiler (with
unique dome)
Hadım İbrahim Paşa Camisi, Silivrikapı
Mihrimah Sultan Camisi, Edirnekapı
Zal Mahmut Paşa Camisi, Eyüp
Dört Dayanaklı - Yarım Kubbeli Camiler (with
half dome)
Mihrimah Sultan Camisi, Üsküdar
Şehzade Camisi
Sülaymaniye Camisi
Kılıç Ali Paşa Camisi
Altı Dayanaklı Camiler
Sinan Paşa Camisi, Beşiktaş
Kara Ahmet Paşa Camisi, Topkapı
Molla Çelebi Camisi, Fındıklı
Semiz Ali Paşa Camisi, Babaeski
Atik Valide Camisi, Üsküdar
Sokollu Camisi, Kadırga
Top
The Ottoman Empire during the Time of Sinan
The Ottoman Empire was established in 1299, and it grew steadily,
putting an end to the Byzantine Empire in 1453. It reached its peak
by the end of the 16th century. The Empire included a diversity of
cultures, which were preserved locally, while its general character
remained eastern and Ottoman. After its conquest, Istanbul became
the artistic and cultural centre of the empire, diffusing its
influence across its various provinces in proportion to the
relations it maintained with them.
Eastern influences, especially those brought back from the campaigns
waged in the East by Sultan Selim I and his successor Süleyman the
Magnificent, also known as Kanuni (Law-Giver)- were integrated into
the vast and mature Ottoman culture, as had previously been the case
with Byzantine architecture. The most brilliant period of Ottoman
civilisation was during the 16th and 17th centuries, during which
time the most famous names achieved great feats in fields of
science, administration and in the arts.
This was due in great part to the empire's economic power, but also
to a well organised and stable administration, the prevalence of
justice and fairness, as well as a rational world view.
In Sinan's time, the Islamic institution of the vakıf or waqf, a
kind pf pious charitable foundation, was highly developed. It was
through the establishment of such foundations and in a charitable
spirit that sultans and members of their families, as well as
viziers (ministers), and pashas (generals) contributed funds for the
establishment of many public works. The wealthy also followed their
examples. We can say that practically all the architectural works of
that time were built by vakıfs, but it was still the State which
provided the revenues for the donors.
Indeed many important State resources were entrusted to prominent
people through the institution of the "mülk". And this made it
possible for viziers such as Rüstem Paşa and Sokullu Mehmet Paşa (we
shall henceforth use Turkish spelling for Turkish names) and
princesses of the Imperial Harem, such as Hürrem Sultan and Mihrimah
Sultan (the word Sultan placed after a woman's name means princess),
to order numerous vakıf projects.
During the reign of Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent a most active
period was witnessed in the Empire in terms of the construction of
public works, and Sinan was most fortunate to have the post of chief
architect at a time when resources were so abundant. The vakıf
system not only permitted the building of such works, it also
ensured their maintenance, which made it possible for them to
survive until this day. Funds for their maintenance were provided by
the revenues obtained from shops, commercial buildings and
kervansarays (hostels for merchants and travellers), hamams (public
baths), bedestens or mills, all constructed next to monuments built
by donations. The administration of these revenues was entrusted to
the vakıfs. The establishment of vakıfs was always encouraged, and
many facilities were provided for that purpose. The founder of the
vakıf could specify how it was to be used through its administrative
statutes or vakfiye. Such freedom of choice brought a significant
plurality to Ottoman social and cultural life. As for other works
which were directly undertaken by the State, they consisted of
military establishments, roads and bridges, as well as palaces and
buildings.
Ottoman Sultans of the 16th century were not only patrons of the
arts but were also directly involved in their administration. They
established workshops which specialized in all kinds of crafts.
Artists and artisans of the Palace (the Ehl-i Hiref), ranging from
painters to calligraphers, from carpenters to jewellers, were
trained at these establishments, where they were then able to
contribute to the art of the Empire. The wages earned by these
artists were higher than those of civil servants working at the
Palace. This explains why architectural works were built with such
care. Top
The Imperial Corps of Architects
Ottoman documents reveal that there was a special architectural
institution attached to the palace called the Hassa Mimarlar Ocağı
(Imperial Corps of Architects). The date of the founding of this
institution is not clear but we do know that it was already in
existence before 1525. It was linked to the Şehremini (an individual
responsible for the financing, purchasing and administrative
activities related to the construction of buildings). The Hassa
Chief architect was in charge of its administration. The first chief
architect is believed to have been Acem Alisi (Alaüddin). The chief
architect had as his assistants the water supply director, the chief
of apprentices, the chief limeworker, the warehouse director, the
first secretary of the warehouse, the first architect, the deputy
architect, the director of repairs, and many master architects,
qualified builders, foreman and artisans, as well as officers in
charge of monitoring their activities. The institution was in charge
of practically everything related to the empire's civil engineering,
architecture and urban development activities: water supply,
sewerage system, roads and pavements, building regulations, permits
and their control, as well as fire prevention, the activities of
architects, foremen and superintendents and their wages, the
standardisation of building materials and their quality and price
control.
It was also in
charge of designing, erecting, maintaining and repairing buildings
belonging to the imperial family, high-ranking state officials, and
of appointing architects, foremen and superintendents for these
tasks. In addition, it was responsible for the building of bridges,
forts and other military works in times of war. Finally, it
functioned as an educational institution, being in charge of the
training of the most talented youths among those recruited by the "devşirme"
(levy of Christian children for the Jannisary Corps and other State
services).
The plans for building projects were first in the form of sketches
or models and then they were submitted to the palace together with
their cost estimates. Before construction began, someone was
appointed to be in charge of the building, who would also be
responsible for the building materials and workers, and who would
regularly note down the expenses incurred. For important projects,
the palace would be directly approached for the procurement of
materials and staff. In the provinces, the "kadıs", who functioned
both as judges and mayors, would inform the palace of their building
requirements and the latter would then give orders to the chief
architect. In the construction of imperial buildings, young devşirme
recruits, palace artisans (Ehl-i Hiref), hired laborers and
foremasters worked along with prisoners of war and convicts. Both
Muslims and Christians would be employed. If necessary, architects
would be sent to different provinces and sometimes abroad. The
Muslim rulers of India are known to have asked the Ottoman Sultans
to send them architects, and some of Sinan's students were indeed
sent there.
It is believed that the Imperial Corps of Architects became masters
during Sinan's time when it was restructured in order to handle the
then frantic building activity. The institution lasted for some 350
years, until it was integrated into the municipality in 1831.
Top
Ottoman Architecture Prior to Sinan
In order to get a better understanding of Sinan's architectural
achievements, we must dwell briefly on the architectural
developments that preceded them. Sinan's greatest contribution lies
in his innovations regarding the use of the dome. With the exception
of certain tombs, domes did not cover the whole area of buildings in
the Islamic world, rather they served to enhance buildings. The
Ottomans virtually identified their mosques with domes, trying out
every possible variant of the form. The role of Saint Sophia in this
context cannot be denied. The function of the dome was moreover not
limited to covering a given area, it became a key element in the
design of a mosque.
Single, multiple, plural-based or multi-functional inverted T-shaped
domed mosques and their domed tombs, departing from the old kümbet
form, were already a typical Ottoman style at the time when Bursa
was the first capital of the empire (1326), along with domed
medreses (theological seminaries), and domed hamams.
The Bursa style continued for some time after the city of Edirne was
proclaimed the second capital of the Empire in 1368, but the Üç
Şerefeli Mosque, built in Edirne by Murad II in 1447, is considered
an innovation in the design of mosques because it introduced a plan
which was to be amply developed later.
Innovative features like the hexagonal structure supporting its
dome, its porticoed courtyard and its four minarets, do indeed
impart a character to the mosque not typical of the period.
After the conquest of Istanbul (1453), the Saint Sophia Basilica,
which was much admired by the Ottomans, became a focus of interest
for Turkish architects, who practically idolized it. The Fatih
(Conqueror) Külliye (a religious complex) was completed in 1471
under the reign of Mehmet II. With its sixteen medreses, its
location and composition, this monumental complex put a Turkish
stamp on the city. A semidome was added to the main dome of the
original Fatih mosque, probably being influenced by the architecture
of Saint Sophia, which brought the concept into Ottoman
architecture. The old Fatih mosque was still standing in Sinan's
time. It was to be destroyed in the 1776 earthquake. Also
interesting is the Beyazid II Külliye in Edirne (1488), with
pendentives supporting a 20m diameter dome and the design of its
hospital. The interior of the mosque is dominated by a single dome.
The side walls have windows and the dome supports are almost
unnoticeable. This was the prototype for the Mihrimah Mosque in
Edirnekapı, which Sinan was to build some 80 years later. The
Beyazid II Mosque in Istanbul (1506) is an improved version of the
old Fatih Mosque. The influence of Saint Sophia may also be felt
here, but must not be considered to be a simple copy.
The works mentioned above indicate that Ottoman architecture was
already developed by the time Sinan appeared. Top
References and External Links
- “Sinan, The Architect and his Works”, by
Prof. Dr. Reha Günay, translated by Ali Ottoman
-
Turkish Art &
Architecture
-
Architect Sinan, Wikipedia
(English)
-
Mimar
Sinan, Wikipedia (French)
-
Sinan'a Saygi
TransAnatolie Tour
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