Detailed Analysis of the Architecture of Selimiye Mosque

Selimiye Mosque built by Mimar Sinan in 1568 to 1575, Edirne, Turkey. Image source

Selimiye Külliyesi’s mosque was built in Edirne, Turkey. Mimar Sinan built this mosque in 1568–1574. The building consists of three types of functions religious, commercial and educational. The complex has a mosque, two madrasas: one is a hadith college, and the other is a Quran school for recitation, bazaar and an elementary school.

Figure 1. Detail of Selimiye Mosque — Courtyard View Toward the Domes of the Entrance. Image source

Selimiye Mosque consists of a rectangular plan divided into two equal parts. The two equally divided rectangular parts are the courtyard and prayer hall. The courtyard has small domes around the perimeter of the arcade. The arcade surrounding the courtyard has alternating white and red stone arches indicated in fig (1).

Figure 2. Detail of Selimiye Mosque — Exterior View Showing Courtyard Fountain. Image source

The rectangular courtyard has a water fountain in the centre, indicated in fig (2). The prayer hall has a large central dome surrounded by eight piers to support the dome. The Octagon shape of the piers surrounding the dome has four half domes on either side of the central dome. At the back of the mosque, the mihrab is placed and is covered by a half dome. Four pencil-shaped minarets are on either side of the prayer hall.

Selimiye complex consists of a rectangular-shaped plan that has two madrasas behind the mosque. In fig (3) indicated 2 is a madrasa for hadith college, and 3 is a madrasa for the recitation of the Quran. Entrances of the madrasas are near the sides of the mosque. Both madrasas are similar in the form of shape. The plan has rectangular courtyards that are open and surrounds the arcade of four sides of the courtyard. The retaining walls combine with the two arcaded walls of the madrasa.

Figure 3. Floor Plan of the Selimiye Mosque and its Social Complex. Image source

The domed cube behind the mosque is a room for large gatherings. The complex has a bazaar on the southwestern side. In fig (3) indicated 5 is a bazaar that runs from the northwest to the southeast. Another arm of the covered market intersects at the centre of the domed bay. Besides the market, an elementary school is in the shape of a domed cube indicated in fig (3) as 4.

Minbar of the mosque is decorated with Iznik tile. The minbar is shaped like an arch that has a border running along the edges. The bottom part of the minbar consists of a rectangle decorated with red and white leaves. The upper part of the minbar is decorated with dark blue tiles that have white flowers all around. The blossoming tree is depicted at the bottom above the rectangular shape indicated in fig (4). The tree is outgrowing from the bottom and leading upwards. Iznik tiles mostly depicted four types of flowers tulips, roses, hyacinths and carnations. These types are visible in this panel. The band of the border is decorated with red, white and, green motifs. Minbar made up of Iznik tiles is ornamented with floral and vegetal motifs. Tomato red colour is depicted in this Iznik panel, which was made after the 1560s. The glossy look of the tiles is a symbol that these are glazed tiles.

Figure 4. Detail of Selimiye Mosque — Minbar Showing Iznik Tile. Image source

The central medallion has a geometrically shaped pattern around that there is a blue band with white calligraphy. White calligraphy on the blue band depicts Surat al-Ikhlas. A smaller decorative band surrounds the calligraphy depicting floral and vegetal motifs. A substantial round band covers the medallion. This band has eight medallions around the central medallion and has divine names inscribed. After that, another round decorative band covers the eight medallions. All this decoration is depicted on the dome, and another decorative part comes, which is the drum(neck) of the dome. The drum has small arched shape windows that run along with the drum. The light that comes from the windows illuminates the decoration. Round-arched windows have pointed arches around them with floral motifs on either side of the arch indicated in the figure (5).

Figure 5. Detail of Selimiye Mosque — Interior View of Dome. Image source

Selimiye is one of the last works done by Mimar Sinan. According to Tezkiret-ül Bünyan, challenged that Muslims can not build a dome such as Hagia Sophia. Sinan accepted the challenge and made the dome’s diameter to be 31.22, which roughly equals the uneven diameter of Hagia Sophia, which is 30.9 to 31.8.

The inscriptions on the Selimiye tell the viewer a lot about the iconography of the mosque. Through the inscriptions, Sultan wanted to show the remembrance of God. In Surat al-Ikhlas depicted in the medallion presents the oneness of God, and that God nor was born and neither gives birth. Inscriptions on the Selimiye mosque are from the Hadith. The calligraphy in Selimiye is depicted with the words of God and his messenger Prophet Muhammad. The inscriptions were wisely picked to be depicted on the interior walls of the mosque. Some inscriptions are about the day of judgement, paradise and forgiveness from God. The concept of paradise is also conveyed through the arched minbar Iznik tile panel, which represents the blossoming trees with the gardens of flowers.

Bibliography

Hillenbrand, Robert, Islamic Art and Architecture. London: Thames & Hudson Ltd, 1999.

Necipoğlu, Gülru. “Qur’anic inscriptions on Sinan’s Imperial Mosques: a Comparison with their Safavid and Mughal Counterparts” in Word of God, Art of Man. The Qur’an and its Creative Expressions, ed. Fahmida Suleman. Oxford University Press, 2007.

Necipoğlu, Gülru. “Culture of Architecture and Decorum” in The Age of Sinan. Architectural Culture in the Ottoman Empire, Reaktion Books, 2005.

“Selimiye Külliyesi | Archnet”. Archnet.Org, 2020. https://archnet.org/sites/1941/media_contents/21243.