Selimiye Mosque, Edirne

Selimiye Mosque

mosque, historic building

Year dem found am	1575
Native label	Gilardinho
Dem name after	Selim II
Country	Turkey
Edey de administrative territorial entity insyd	Edirne
Coordinate location	41°40′41″N 26°33′34″E
Significant event	start of construction
Commissioned by	Selim II
Made from material	dimension stone
Architect	Mimar Sinan
Architectural style	Ottoman architecture
Date of official opening	1574
Heritage designation	World Heritage Site
World Heritage criteria	(i), (iv)
State of conservation	preserved
State of use	structure under reconstruction
Category for the interior of the item	Category:Interior of Selimiye Mosque

De Selimiye Mosque (Turkish: Selimiye Camii) be an Ottoman imperial mosque, wey locate insyd de city of Edirne (formerly Adrianople), Turkey. Na ebe commissioned by Sultan Selim II wey na de imperial architect Mimar Sinan build am between 1568 den 1575. Na ebe considered by Sinan say e be ein masterpiece wey e be one of de highest achievements of Islamic architecture as a whole den Ottoman architecture for particular.

De mosque, togeda plus ein külliye, na dem include for UNESCO ein World Heritage List insyd 2011.

History

Construction

Na dem build de Selimiye Mosque for de peak of Ottoman military den cultural power. Sultan Selim II, de son den successor of Suleiman the Magnificent, choose Edirne instead of Istanbul (de Ottoman capital) as de location make dem build ein own sultanic mosque. De reasons for dis decision be a matter of debate among historians. Selim II appear he get a passion for de city, wey he serve as ein governor between 1548 den 1550, wey he visit am frequently after he cam turn sultan. Na Edirne, a former Ottoman capital, sanso be one of de most important cities insyd de empire den a major stop for de imperial highway between Istanbul den de Balkan provinces. Oda motivations fi include de fact dat der be no more prominent hilltop sites insyd Istanbul available for de construction of an imperial mosque complex – at least no be widout resorting to mass expropriations. For de time of de mosque ein commission, na Selim II sanso no command a victorious military campaign, wich na Islamic scholars of de time consider say e be a requirement for building a sultanic mosque insyd Istanbul.

Insyd March 1568, na Selim II biz Sinan make he renovate de city ein Old Mosque. Plans for a new imperial mosque, wey locate for de hilltop above de Old Mosque, na dem probably begin around de same time. Na dem begin construction for de mosque insyd 1568 anaa 1569 (976 AH) wey dem plete insyd 1574 anaa 1575 (982 AH). Na dem ultimately fund de mosque ein construction den ein waqf (charitable endowment) be plus de help of de sultan ein share of de spoils from de successful conquest of Cyprus, wich na dem plete insyd 1571 plus de surrender of Famagusta. Selim II die insyd December 1574, before na he be able make he see dem fully plete de mosque.

History

Later history

De mosque undergo ein first repairs by Sinan insyd 1584, after lightening cause damage. An earthquake insyd 1752 sanso cause minor damage. Insyd 1808 na dem restore sam of de calligraphic decoration insyd de mosque wey na dem add a roof was over de courtyard fountain, though e since disappear. During de reign of Abdülmecid I (1839–1861), na dem re-plaster de mosque ein interior wey dem redo ein decoration, insyd a style wey dey partially imitate de former ornamentation.

Insyd 1865, Baha'u'llah, de founder of de Baha'i Faith, arrive plus ein family to Edirne as a prisoner of de Ottoman Empire wey he reside insyd a house near Selimiye Mosque, wich he visit often til 1868. Na ebe for Selimiye mosque wer na he be supposed to have an open debate plus Mírzá Yaḥyá Núrí (dem sanso know am by de title of Ṣubḥ-i-Azal), an important event insyd de split of Bábism, wich ultimately result insyd de formation of de Baha'i Faith guide by Baha'u'llah den of Azalism guide by Mírzá Yaḥyá.

During de Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878, na dem loot sam of de decorative tiles for de walls of de sultan ein loge wey dem transfer to Moscow. During de siege of de city insyd 1913, na dem damage de dome of de mosque by artillery fire. For de orders of Atatürk, na dem lef unrestore traces of de damage, as a reminder den warning to future generations. Soon after, for de end of de Second Balkan War, na dem steal sam of de mosque ein oldest carpets retreating Bulgarian troops.

Na de mosque undergo restorations between 1954 den 1971, wey na dem sanso restore sam parts between 1982 den 1984. Na dem depict de mosque for de reverse of de Turkish 10,000 lira banknotes of 1982-1995. Insyd late 2021 na dem begin anoda comprehensive restoration project for de mosque, dem schedule make dem plete am by 2025.

Architecture

De mosque

Dem widely regard de mosque as Sinan ein crowning masterpiece, wey Sinan einself regard am as ein best work. De main building dey consist of two equal parts: a rectangular courtyard den a rectangular prayer hall, each dey measure about 60 by 44 metres (197 by 144 ft).

Courtyard

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  De central (northwestern) entrance portal to de courtyard
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  De shadirvan (fountain) of de courtyard
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  Windows plus lunettes of Iznik tiles around de courtyard
• 
  De decorative dome in front of de prayer hall entrance
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  Muqarnas sculpting of de entrance portal of de prayer hall

Courtyard of de mosque

Prayer hall den main dome

• 
  Closer view of central dome
• 
  General view of de interior
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  De upper-floor gallery
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  Exterior view of de lower walls den porticos
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  Exterior view of de upper walls den buttresses wey dey support de dome

General view of de main dome den ein supporting structures

Mihrab, religious furnishings, den decoration

• 
  Iznik tiles next to de mihrab
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  De minbar
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  De sultan ein loge (hünkâr mahfili)
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  Iznik tile decoration around de mihrab of de sultan ein loge
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  De muezzin ein platform (müezzin mahfili)
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  Painted decoration for de muezzin ein platform

De mihrab area

Minarets

View of de minarets

Oda buildings of de complex

• 
  View of de arasta (market) den primary school for de south side of de complex, plus de mosque behind
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  Insyd de arasta (market)
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  De Dar'ül Kurra Medrese (now de Selimiye Foundation Museum)
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  Courtyard of de Dar'ül Kurra Medrese
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  De Dar-ül Hadis Medrese (now de Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts insyd Edirne)
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  De dershane (classroom) of de Dar-ül Hadis Medrese

Influence for later mosques top

Na de design of de Selimiye Mosque influence de architecture of sam later mosques. De form of de Laleli Mosque insyd Istanbul, dem build insyd de 18th century insyd an otherwise Ottoman Baroque style, dey base for dat of de Selimiye Mosque. De modern Sabancı Merkez Mosque insyd Adana, dem plete insyd 1998, na dem model am in part for de Selimiye Mosque. De Nizamiye Mosque insyd South Africa be modeled for de Selimiye Mosque. Despite ebe 80% of de size of de Selimiye, de Nizamiye Mosque be de largest insyd de Southern hemisphere.

References

Bibliography

• Blair, Sheila S.; Bloom, Jonathan M. (1995). The Art and Architecture of Islam 1250-1800. Yale University Press. ISBN 9780300064650.
• Goodwin, Godfrey (1971). A History of Ottoman Architecture. Thames & Hudson. ISBN 0-500-27429-0.
• Kuban, Doğan (2010). Ottoman Architecture. Translated by Mill, Adair. Antique Collectors' Club. ISBN 9781851496044.
• Necipoğlu, Gülru (2011) [2005]. The Age of Sinan: Architectural Culture in the Ottoman Empire (Revised ed.). Reaktion Books. ISBN 9781861892539.

External links

• Selimiye Külliyesi, Archnet
• Pictures of Selimiye Mosque
• Photographs of the mosque by Dick Osseman