Mimar Sinan Tomb
About the Person:
- Mimar Sinan was born in the early 1490s in the village of Ağırnas near Kayseri. Though his ethnic origins have been debated, historical records indicate that he was a devshirme child of a Christian family.
- Brought to Istanbul, he was raised within the Ottoman education system, learned Turkish fluently, and was known to compose poetry from an early age.
- He willingly turned to carpentry (neccarlık), which helped develop his architectural skills.
- During the reign of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, he took part in many military campaigns—Belgrade, Rhodes, Mohács, Germany, Iraq, Apulia, and Moldavia—earning recognition especially for his engineering and bridge-building expertise.
- He served in elite mounted units and held ranks such as yayabaşı (commander of infantry).
- In 1538, he was appointed as chief imperial architect. Throughout his life, he oversaw the design and supervision of over 450 buildings.
- He famously described his architectural career in stages: Şehzade Mosque as his apprenticeship work, Süleymaniye Mosque as his journeyman work, and Selimiye Mosque as his masterwork.
- Known for his tireless work ethic, precision, and innovation, he described himself as “poor, humble, and afflicted.” He was also a man of literature and poetry.
- His wife Mihrî predeceased him. His son Mehmed Bey was martyred. He had two daughters and grandchildren, and he detailed his estate in his waqf document.
- Mimar Sinan passed away in 1588 at nearly 100 years of age and was buried beside the Süleymaniye Complex.
About the Tomb:
Construction Year: 1588
Ordered by: Sultan Murad III
Architect: Unknown
Prominent Features:
- The tomb is a semi-open memorial structure built of limestone (küfeki taşı) and marble. It features six columns connected by pointed arches, supporting a dome; the massive arch bases are subtly concealed by elegant corner pilasters.
- Above the supplication window facing the sarcophagus, there is a monolithic marble inscription in thuluth script by the calligrapher Nakkaş Sai.
- The carved turban on the headstone stands out for its fine craftsmanship.
- The courtyard wall facing Mimar Sinan Street has 11 windows, and the side along Fetva Slope has 5 marble windows with geometric latticework.
- Alongside Mimar Sinan lie three other graves: one believed to belong to his second wife Gülruh Hatun (on the left), his grandson and waqf trustee Derviş Çelebi (on the right), and a third belonging to architect Ali Talat Bey, a pioneer of Neo-Classical architecture.
- At his own request, Ali Talat Bey was buried without an inscription beside Sinan, whom he admired greatly.
- The tomb and its adjacent sebil (fountain) were fully restored in 1922.
