Module 5 Islamic Art

 

Mimar Sinan, courtyard of the Süleymaniye Mosque, İstanbul, 1558

The Suleymanive Mosque was commissioned by Suleiman the Magnificent or Suleiman I, known as the lawgiver of the Ottoman Empire who reigned from 1520 to about 1566. He was known for his long term of ruling and also his authority over at least 25 million people."Süleyman played many roles in his time as Sultan. He personally led the military through several important battles, introduced and passed new laws, wrote poetry, and invested in the culture of the Ottoman Empire by being at the helm of its “Golden Age.” (Architecture Courses, n.d.) The mosque was constructed starting in 1550 and was not finished until 1558 in Istanbul, Turkey. Now what exactly is a Mosque? Mosque is term to describe a place where people gather to mostly pray. Another part of the mosque are the towers surrounding it that are known as 'Minarets' and their purpose is to announce when it is time for prayer. "The courtyard is also home to four minarets with ten galleries. The four minarets signify that the Süleymaniye Mosque was endowed by the sultan, while the ten galleries are representative of Süleyman’s position as tenth sultan." (AC, n.d.)  In the midst of the building is a fairly large courtyard that is surrounded by all the arches and columns mostly made of marble and granite. This mosque also features a lot of domes while most of them are smaller there is one that is larger and this specific dome is symbolized to be the vault of heaven. The interior of said dome contains various windows and colored glass, there is also a color scheme of red, green, and gold. Comparing this mosque to others, this one is less vibrant inside and more simple. These buildings are so articulate with their structures and detail that it really displays how important prayer is to them and their religion in general. 

https://www.architecturecourses.org/s%C3%BCleymaniye-mosque-turkey

https://brewminate.com/the-history-of-art-and-architecture-in-the-islamic-world/