Suleymaniye Mosque

The Süleymaniye Mosque sits atop the Third Hill of Istanbul, its massive central dome rising fifty-three meters above the floor. Designed by the architect Mimar Sinan, it is characterized by the four minarets that flank its courtyard and its expansive, balanced silhouette overlooking the Golden Horn. Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent commissioned the structure in the sixteenth century to demonstrate the strength of his reign, ordering work to begin in fifteen fifty. More than three thousand workers labored on the site until its completion seven years later.