Building the Süleymaniye Mosque

The Süleymaniye Mosque is the largest Ottoman-era mosque in Istanbul.

The Süleymaniye Mosque stands on the Third Hill of Istanbul.

Mimar Sinan designed the mosque for Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent.

An Arabic inscription above the entrance records a foundation date of 1550.

The same inscription notes an inauguration date of 1557.

The courtyard measures around 47 by 57 metres.

Tall columns of marble, granite and porphyry support the colonnaded peristyle.

Water sprayed from the ceiling into the rectangular marble fountain basin below.

Four minarets occupy the four corners of the mosque courtyard.

Two taller minarets rise to 76 metres including their lead caps.

Behind the qibla wall lies an enclosed cemetery containing octagonal mausoleums.

One octagonal mausoleum holds Hurrem Sultan, who died in 1558.

The complex also included madrasas, a public kitchen and a hospital.

The Süleymaniye Mosque commands an extensive view of Istanbul.