Mimar Sinan

c. 1490 – 17 July 1588

Mimar Sinan (c. 1490 - 1588) was the chief Ottoman architect for nearly fifty years under sultans Suleiman the Magnificent, Selim II, and Murad III. Recruited as a Christian youth through the devshirme system, he rose through the Janissary corps as a military engineer before designing hundreds of structures, including the Suleymaniye Mosque in Istanbul and the Selimiye Mosque in Edirne, his acknowledged masterpiece.

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Life events

Born in Agirnas near Kayseri in central Anatolia
c. 1490

Sinan was born around 1490 into a Christian family, most likely of Armenian, Cappadocian Greek, or other Anatolian Christian origin, in the village of Agirnas.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
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Recruited into Ottoman service through the devshirme levy
c. 1512

Around 1512 Sinan was conscripted as a youth under the devshirme system, converted to Islam, and trained for the Janissary corps in Istanbul.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
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Served as a Janissary and military engineer in Ottoman campaigns
1521 – 1538

Sinan took part in campaigns including Belgrade (1521), Rhodes (1522), and Mohacs (1526), gaining renown for building bridges, fortifications, and ships.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
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Appointed chief royal architect of the Ottoman Empire
1539

In 1539 Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent made Sinan chief of the imperial architects, a post he held for almost fifty years.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
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Completed the Sehzade Mosque in Istanbul
1548

Finished in 1548 in memory of Suleiman's son Sehzade Mehmed, the mosque was later described by Sinan as the work of his apprenticeship.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
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Built the Suleymaniye Mosque complex in Istanbul
1550 – 1557

Constructed between 1550 and 1557 for Suleiman the Magnificent, the vast mosque complex dominates Istanbul's skyline and is one of Sinan's greatest works.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
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Built the Selimiye Mosque in Edirne, his masterpiece
1568 – 1575

Constructed between 1568 and 1575 for Sultan Selim II, the Selimiye Mosque, which Sinan called the work of his mastery, is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
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Died in Istanbul
17 July 1588

Sinan died on 17 July 1588 and was buried in a tomb he designed for himself near the Suleymaniye Mosque.

Source: en.wikipedia.org
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