Different Space Organization In The Square Baldachin Single-Domed Mosques Of Architect Sinan

The Ottoman Empire’s Master Architect (Mimar) Sinan produced close to 400 works of different types, including mosques, hammams or bath-houses, madrasahs, masjids (prayer rooms), khans (inns), caravanserais, hospitals (darüşşifa), imarets, guest houses (tabhane), Koranic schools (darülkurra), primary schools (sıbyan mektebi), waterways, lodges (tekke), fountains and palaces. The works of Mimar Sinan that he attached great importance to and produced the greatest in number were mosques. Sinan built mosques at different locations throughout the Empire, particularly in the capital city of Istanbul but he never used the same layout plan in any of these, never repeated himself, choosing instead to experiment continuously with different schemes. The dome is the fundamental building element that Sinan uses in his mosques. The dome is the principal component that determines the plan of the mosque, where it appears as an architectural feature that dominates the entire inner space as well as the outer plastic form. The dome is also a symbolic element that defines the city silhouette, standing at the center of the structure, becoming a significant part of the architectural landscape. With his mosques, Sinan has given the tradition of the domed structure a new identity and has developed a distinctive architectural style. The principal structural element that Sinan employed in his mosques was the dome. The construct of Sinan’s mosque plans determined the structural characteristics that would constitute his domes. Mimar Sinan used use of multiple-support systems such as 4, 6 and 8-baldachins in his dome structures, planning the layouts of his domed structures around the framework of these systems. In this article, we will attempt to examine five of Mimar Sinan’s square baldachin, single-dome mosques (Edirnekapı Mihrimah Sultan, Eyüp Zal Mahmut Pasha, Lüleburgaz Sokullu Mehmet Pasha, Fatih Bali Pasha and Manisa Muradiye) in an effort to offer an analysis on the organization of the domed principal and auxiliary spaces in these structures.

Keywords

History of Art, Ottoman architecture, Architect Sinan, square baldachin, single-domed mosque.