The Süleymaniye Mosque (Turkish: Süleymaniye Camii), is an Ottoman imperial mosque located on the Third Hill of Istanbul, Turkey. The mosque was commissioned by Suleiman the Magnificent and designed by the imperial architect Mimar Sinan. An inscription specifies the foundation date as 1550 and the inauguration date as 1557. The mosque was built by the Ottoman sultan Suleyman (r. 1520–1566) and the mosque was named after him. The mosque is located at the highest end of the city of Istanbul. It is designed to glorify the sultan. Construction of this mosque began before 1550 and was nearly completed in 1557. Sultan Suleyman used Mimar Sinan (d. 1588), the greatest engineer and architect of his time for the work of this mosque. The architecture and craftsmanship of the mosque are very beautiful and attracts many worshipers and visitors.
The design of the Süleymaniye plays on Suleyman's self-conscious representation of himself as a 'second Solomon.' It references the Dome of the Rock, which was built on the site of the Temple of Solomon, as well as Justinian's boast upon the completion of the Hagia Sophia: "Solomon, I have surpassed thee!" The Süleymaniye, similar in magnificence to the preceding structures, asserts Suleyman's historical importance. The structure is nevertheless smaller in size than its older archetype, the Hagia Sophia.
The Süleymaniye was damaged in the great fire of 1660 and was restored by Sultan Mehmed IV. Part of the dome collapsed during the earthquake of 1766. Subsequent repairs damaged what was left of the original decoration of Sinan (recent cleaning has shown that Sinan experimented first with blue, before making red the dominant colouur of the dome).
During World War I the courtyard was used as a weapons depot, and when some of the ammunition ignited, the mosque suffered another fire. Not until 1956 was it fully restored again.
The construction of the Haliç Metro Bridge in 2013 has irreparably altered the view of the mosque from north.
More information on the architecture of the Süleymaniye Mosque can be viewed via the link below: