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Selimiye Mosque photo by Zeynel Cebeci –

Top 10 Interesting Facts about Selimiye Mosque

Selimiye Mosque is an Ottoman imperial mosque. It is built at the peak of Ottoman and cultural power. It is located in the city of Edirne, Turkey. The mosque was commissioned by Sultan Selim II and was built bu the imperial architect Mimar Sinan between 1568 and 1575.

The mosque was built because Edirne was in the process of centralization. Centralizing the city was exclusively the idea of the emperor in power then and so Sinani was asked to help build the mosque. In the article are the top ten interesting facts about the Selimiye Mosque.

1. Selim II did not see the completion of the mosque

A photo of a portrait of Selim II by Paolo Veronese –

Selim II also Selim the Drunk or Selim the Blond was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1566until his death in 1574. Selim II is the one who commissioned the mosque. He died in 1574. This was before the completion of Selimiye Mosque. Did he die a satisfied man?

2. The mosque is one of the greatest achievements of Islamic architecture

Selimiye Mosque photo by Nicosia Turkish Municipality-

Islamic architecture comprises architectural styles of buildings associated with Islam. It encompasses both secular and religious styles from the early history of Islam to the present day.

Sinan who built the mosque as commissioned by Selim II considered the mosque his masterpiece. Also, he considered it one of the greatest achievements of Islamic architecture.

3. The mosque survived the hit by Bulgarian artillery

A northen view phto of Selimiye Mosue by Zeynel Cebeci –

It was 1913 when the mosque was hit by Bulgarian artillery. The Bulgarian siege of Edirne was when the incident happened. The war was fought during the First Balkan War. The siege began on 3 November 1912 and ended on 26 March 1913. Edirne was captured in the War by the Bulgarian and Serbian 2nd armies.

Selimiye mosque survived the assault with only minor damages. Mustafa Kemal Pasha, a Turkish field marshal, revolutionary statesman, author, and the founding father of Turkey, ordered the mosque to be restored.

4. The mosque was only restored once

A photo of Selimiye Mosque by Dosseman –

The first restoration of the mosque was done after the Bulgaria Siege of Edirne in 1913. It was Mustafa Kemal the founding father of Turkey who ordered the mosque to be restored. What is interesting is the Selimiye Mosque has never been restored since then.

It is said that the mosque has never been restored since then to serve as a warning to future generations. Some damage can be seen on the image of the dome above, and the dark red calligraphy. The calligraphy is to the immediate left of the central blue area.

5. Baha’i Faith was formed in Selimiye Mosque

In 1965 Baha’u’llah, the founder of the Baha’i Faith arrived with his family in Edirne as a prisoner of the Ottoman Empire. He resided in a house near the Selimiye mosque and always attended the mosque until 1868.

It was in SelimiyeMosque where Baha’u’llah had an open debate with Mírzá Yaḥyá Núrí. This event was very important in the split of the Bábi Faith which resulted in the formation of the Baha’i Faith. Baha’i Faith was guided by Baha’u’llah and the Azali Bábi Faith was guided by Mírzá Yaḥyá.

6. Architecture of the mosque is a great masterpiece indeed!

The mosque as stated earlier was widely and is regarded as Sinan’s crowing masterpiece. Sinani himself regarded it as his best work. The main building consists of two equal parts: a rectangular courtyard and a rectangular prayer hall. Each of the rectangular spaces measures 60by 44 meters.

The mosque’s courtyard forms a dramatic approach that helps to frame the view of the main dome from the outside. The central outer gate on the northwest side of the courtyard is unusually simple, as the customary muqarnas canopy is replaced by a simple round arch.

The interior of the courtyard is four porticos of arches and domes. The southeastern portico is the immediate entrance to the prayer hall. It is taller than the other three porticos to match the great height of the mosque itself. This portico is composed of three wide arches with two very small arches between them.

7. The marble Shadirvan in Selimiye Mosque is outstanding!

The Mable Shadirvan is a fountain in the center of the courtyard. It is made of carved and pierced stones. It is one of the finest ablutions of its kind from the period when the mosque was built. However, the marble Shirvan lacks a usual roof and canopy.

The lack of a usual roof and canopy has made many Turkish architectural historians like Gülru NecipoÄŸlu believe that the fountain was never completed. The historian further puts an emphasis that the fountain does not give a view of the mosque’s dome above.

8. The interior of the prayer hall is dominated by a single massive dome

Being dominated completely by a single massive dome makes the interior prayer hall of the mosque to be notable. The view of the interior hall is unimpeded by the structural elements seen in other large domed mosques before. Its design is the pinnacle of Sinan’s structural experiments.

The use of the octagonal baldaquin design of the hall is one of the experiments that he performed early. In the design, the main dome is supported by a system of 8 pillars inscribed in a rectangular shell of the wall. This was the most effective way of integrating the round dome with the rectangular hall below.

9. Sinan built the mosque to surpass the size of Hagia Sophia’s central dome

A photo of Selimiye Mosque by Dosseman –

This was Sinan’s primary objective. He was motivated by Christian architects who claimed that Muslims were not capable of matching the construction of Hagia Sophia’s central dome. Sina’s biographies praise the Selimiye Mosque dome for its size and height.

The size is approximately the same diameter as the Hagia Sophia’smain dome and slightly higher. This was the first that the height of the dome had been achieved in Ottoman architecture and so the mosque set a record. According to Sa’i Mustafa Çelebi’s biography, Sinan is said to declare the dome to be six cubits higher and four cubits wider than the dome of Hagia Sophia.

10. The mosque has one of the tallest Ottoman minarets

Semiliye Mosque minarets photo by rob stoeltje –

The exterior of the mosque is marked by four minarets. a minaret is a type of tower typically built into or adjacent to mosques. They are used generally to project the Muslim call to prayer but also they are used as landmarks and symbols of the Muslim presence.

The minarets are among the tallest Ottoman minarets ever built. They are 70.89 meters tall. The four minarets were built at each corner of the marble forecourt to support the central dome. They amplify the upward thrust.

Selimiye mosque is open to the public. Are you in Turkey? Then what are you waiting for? Don’t put religious differences first and lose the chance to see Sinan’s great masterpiece. However, there is a disclaimer when visiting the mosque. Am quite sure this applies to all mosques. In general, avoid visiting mosques as tourists on Friday and don’t visit if there are worshippers present.

Address: Meydan, Mimar Sinan Cd., 22020 Edirne Merkez/Edirne, Turkey
Hours:
Open â‹… Closes AT 8:30 PM
Architect: Mimar Sinan
Opened: 14 March 1575
Materials: Ashlar, Marble
Architectural styles: Ottoman architecture, Islamic architecture
Height: 43 m
Minaret(s): 4