The Suleymaniye is the second largest but by far the finest and most magnificent of the imperial mosque complexes in Istanbul. It is a fitting monument to its founder, Suleyman the magnificent, and a master work of Sinan, the greatest Ottoman architect.
Even though 1,000 years apart, because Sinan worked on the Aya Sofya and became influenced by its form and structure, Suleymaniye shares many similarities with this beautiful church. The basic concept of the central domed space made larger by attached semidomed spaces, for example, is repeated at Suleymaniye.
The mosque is preceded by a porticoed courtyard of exceptional grandeur which is anchored by four minarets. The number of minarets represents the fact that Suleyman was the fourth sultan to reign in Istanbul. The ten balconies denote that he was the tenth sultan of the Ottoman.
Entering the mosque you will find yourself in a vast, almost square room surmounted by a dome. To the east and west the dome is supported by semidomes, to the north and south by arches. The result is a soaring space that gives the impression the dome is held up by divine cooperation.
The Mosque of Süleyman houses the tombs of Suleyman, his wife and Sinan.
Compared to the Topkapi Palace, Sultanhamet, Aya Sofya, Hippodrome and Basilica Cistern which are located next to each other in the same area of Old Istanbul, Suleyman is a little bit out of the way for tourists but it surely deserves a visit for its serenity and beauty. Here you will not be trammed by tourists like you would at the other places. The day we were there, we were the only tourists!