Explore Turkey: Love and Genius: Sultana Mihrimah Mosques

I'm like a man who is walking at very far away
Like a dream passes from too far away

Rumi (Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi)

Sinan ’the architect’ was assumed to be aimless while he was standing on balcony of the galata tower. He was looking at the horizon and it was obvious that he was sad and confused. Sultana mihrimah had asked him for building a mosque for her. But sinan was planing to build two mosques..

There are two special mosques in İstanbul which were built in 16. century and express onthly fellings of human being. If there is something certain about these structures, it is that they made her fell special: Sultana Mihrimah..

Sultana Mihrimah was the doughter of Sultan Suleiman”the magnificant”. She was born on march 21, the day which daytime and night are equal, the equinox. Probably therefore she was named as mihrimah which means ‘sun’ and ‘moon’(mihr-i mah) in Persian.

Sultana Mihrimah

Because of her legendary beauty, many people wanted to marry to her when she grow up and become a young lady. She got married with Pasha Rüstem who was the governor of the Diyarbakır. It is said that he had a low reputation so this marriage was a political decision.

After years, Sultana Mihrimah invited Sinan ’the architect’ to the palace and told her wish about to make a mosque built. Sinan was the most sophisticated and famous architect at that time. However he is still so at present. She put the preference of location to Sinan’s choice.

Suleiman 'the magnificent'

A Female Mosque

Sinan decided to built the mosque on east coast of bosphorus,in üsküdar/istanbul. He began to built in 1540 and finished in 1548.

Sultana Mihrimah Mosque/Üsküdar

It is said that while Sinan was designing the mosque he inspired by a figure of ‘a woman wearing skirt’. It has two minarets.

Less is more, simple is spectacular

14 years later after Sinan fisihed the mosque, Sultana Mihrimah invited him to the palace again. She asked him for building an other mosque for her. Again sinan would chose the location. On the other hand some resources suggest that second mosque has been bulid in memory of her after Sultana Mihrimah’s death.

At This time, Sinan chose the location on west coast of İstanbul, in Edirnekapı. He build a simple and unpretentious mosque befitting the pure and royal beauty of Sultana Mihrimah. He made the mosque very bright by putting 161 windows on it.

Sultana Mihrimah Mosque/ Edirnekapı

It is said that he figured Sultana Mihrimah’s hair down to her waist on pendants of dome and engravings on minaret. He build the mosque with single minaret.

By the way, Sinan build a mosque for Pasha Rüstem (sultana mihrimah’s husband) too. They say Sinan build the first ‘apartment mosque’ for pasha rustem.

Pasha Rüstem Mosque

In contrast to others it was dark. Pasha rüstem didn’t like it and sneak it to the Sultan Suleiman. It is sad that Sinan equiped the mosque with most beaituful ‘çini’ ceramics and engravings to appease the event.

Dance of the sun and moon

Besides the architectural features of mosques, Sinan loaded a miraculous astronomic attribute to the mosques. For a few days in sping mounths , while the sun goes down behind the mosque in west coast, moon rises between two minarets of mosque on east coast. (remember mihr-i mah: sun and moon)

The world is created by love, not stone

Another amazing issue appears if you join two locations with bird’s eye wiew on google earth. In the middle of the line you can find Galata Mevlevi House (Galata mevlevihanesi). Mevlevi way comes from Rumi (mevlana jelaluddin rumi). Rumi’s way is the way of love. Galata mevlevi house may sembolize love in this story..

The Line Joining Two Mosques

Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi

A Sema Ritual in Galata Mevlevi House

200 meters below the middle of the line, there is Galata tower. You can see both two mosques on the tower.

Galata Tower by Bekir Kurt

The man who writes poems with buildings: Sinan ’the architect’

Eventhough historians suggest there is no evidence for this love, it is said that Sinan ’the architect’ felt in a platonic love with Sultana Mihrimah. Even it is said that Sinan wanted to marry to her but Sultan Suleiman ’the magneficant’ didn’t accept this mariage because of Sinan was old and married.( when Sultana Mihrimah got married Sinan was 50 years old and according to tradition, the men at that time could marry more than once). They say the reason for he build second mosque with single minaret was to symbolize his loneliness.