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THE ARCHITECT WHO BUILT MINARETS AND A TRADITION THAT REACHES TO THE SKY: KOCA SINAN
Today's Zaman, Turkey
May 2 2013
2 May 2013 / AMET ALTINTAÅ~^, Ä°STANBUL
Mimar (Architect) Sinan, with the many structures which bear his
signature, is someone who still lives on amongst us in this city. A
full 425 years have passed since the death of the famed "Koca Sinan"
(Great Sinan), who arrived in Istanbul at the age of 22 and went on
-- with his considerable skills -- to become the leading architect
of the Ottoman Empire.
Notes art historian Professor Selcuk Mulayim of Sinan, "He was
the only one who approached Ottoman architecture with a different
concept in mind, bringing it up to its peak of development in global
architecture." There is no way to know whether Istanbul's silhouette
would be as aesthetic as it is today had Sinan not had a hand in it.
Some of the reasons why his name is still uttered with such fervor
have to do with his interpretation of the style of the times, as well
as his unique views on stone and building materials. The pathways he
forged in Turkish art are methods that are still being copied today.
The most important discovery in the Sinan school of Ottoman
architecture was undoubtedly the formulization of the most ideal
relations between domes and structures. The aim of this particular
article is to explore some of the more unknown or unspoken of aspects
of this genius around the 425th anniversary of his death in April.
Sinan was an Ottoman...
While the exact birth date of Sinan is not known, it is believed that
he was born in 1489. And though there are various claims that his
ethnic roots were Croatian, Slovenian, Persian or Bosnian -- he was
taken in by the janissaries as a boy -- it is difficult to determine
which of these is true. Notes Mulayim, who has done much research on
Sinan: "If there were some definitive results as to what his ethic
roots had been -- let's say it had been determined, for example, that
he was Armenian -- this would not change what is already known about
the Ottoman social organization ways. In fact, the whole process and
functioning of Ottomanization would be confirmed once again with yet
another example." The fact that Sinan grew up in a household where
Turkish was spoken from the time he was a young boy strengthens the
belief that he was probably a member of the Karamanlı group.
Poet friend details his life
The most detailed information that exists about the life of Sinan can
be found in "Tezkiret-ul Bunyan," (loosely translated: Biography of a
building) written by his close friend, poet Mustafa Celebi. In talking
about his life, Sinan said, "This lowly person became a janissary
under the dynasty of Sultan Selim Han, growing up in Kayseri where
he came of age."
And so it was that Sinan arrived in the Ottoman capital later at
the age of 22. He began his studies in a school that looked out upon
the Hippodrome. Seeing the Hagia Sophia as he did every day resulted
in setting the goal of trying to surpass this magnificent structure
with something of his own creation. As noted in "Tezkiret-ul Bunyan,"
Sinan was already showing an inclination for carpentry. It is also
noted that around this time, he joined Yavuz Sultan Selim on a journey
to Egypt, but many historians shy away from confirming this.
Joins in the Belgrade campaign as a janissary
Sinan did join the campaigns alongside Kanunî Sultan Suleyman in
1521 to Belgrade and to Rhodes in 1522. In those years, he was still
a janissary. Sinan was made a member of the royal hunt keepers thanks
to his services and also joined in the Battle of Mohác, becoming
the infantry colonel for the "more inexperienced youth." Later, he
was made infantry colonel of the troops directly under the sultan,
and later the infantry colonel for the archery unit of the janissaries.
As an archer, Sinan joined in the 1532 Alaman and Irakeyn military
campaigns in modern-day Germany and Iraq, and because of his successes
in these ventures, he was ordered by Lutfî Pasha to make three wooden
galleys in Tatvan. The efforts put forth by Sinan while trying to
cross the Prut River were important not only for his personal history,
but also for architectural history. The mastery he displayed at the
age of 48 in creating these wooden vessels was legendary, and wound
up in truly opening the path to his renowned status as chief architect.
Served Ottomans for 49 years as head architect
French architect Le Corbusier said of Sinan, "He is one of two
architects throughout history who completely understood locality and
space." (For those who are curious, the other architect, according to
Le Corbusier, was Frank Lloyd Wright.) In 1537, Sinan was made head
architect. He served a full 49 years under the reigns of Kanunî
Sultan Suleyman, Sultan Selim II, and Sultan Murat III. Over this
period of time, he signed off on three masterpieces which served to
cement his reputation: Å~^ehzade Mosque (1548), which he referred to as
his "apprenticeship masterpiece," Suleymaniye Mosque (1558), which he
referred to as his "more experienced masterpiece," and Selimiye Mosque
(1575), which he admitted was his "masterwork." The signature he left
behind on his architectural pieces reflected his modesty at heart:
"El Fakir-ul-Hakir Sinan" (Your humble and lowly servant Sinan)
Sinan wound up marrying Mihri Hatun and had a son named Mehmet
and two daughters named Neslihan and Ummuhan. Historian Ä°brahim
Hakkı Konyalı claims that Sinan had in fact five daughters and two
sons. Sinan had two more wives named GulrÃ" and Mihri.
His gravesite is in Suleymaniye, on Fetva YokuÅ~_u
Sinan died on April 9, 1588 at the age of 99. Notes Mulayim: "He put
an end to the stylistic anarchy that had settled so deeply in regions
and cities, putting forth his own identity in world architecture on
a global level. This identity left traces that remain until today and
a profound influence on the fate of art in regions where the Ottoman
order was in place." The gravesite of this great architect can be
found immediately on the left of the gateway exiting the Ä°stanbul
Mufti headquarters, on Fetva YokuÅ~_u, where two boulevards intersect.
Over the course of his long life, Sinan was responsible for the
design of 92 mosques, 52 mescits, 55 madrasas, seven daru'l-kurra
(room for Quran studies), 20 tombs, 17 soup kitchens, three health
clinics, six aqueducts, 10 bridges, 20 caravanserais, 36 palaces,
eight vaults and 48 hamams. His own final resting place though is a
simple white tomb facing the Golden Horn from Suleymaniye Mosque.
http://www.todayszaman.com/news-314321-the-architect-who-built-minarets-and-a-tradition-that-reaches-to-the-sky-koca-sinan.html
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
Today's Zaman, Turkey
May 2 2013
2 May 2013 / AMET ALTINTAÅ~^, Ä°STANBUL
Mimar (Architect) Sinan, with the many structures which bear his
signature, is someone who still lives on amongst us in this city. A
full 425 years have passed since the death of the famed "Koca Sinan"
(Great Sinan), who arrived in Istanbul at the age of 22 and went on
-- with his considerable skills -- to become the leading architect
of the Ottoman Empire.
Notes art historian Professor Selcuk Mulayim of Sinan, "He was
the only one who approached Ottoman architecture with a different
concept in mind, bringing it up to its peak of development in global
architecture." There is no way to know whether Istanbul's silhouette
would be as aesthetic as it is today had Sinan not had a hand in it.
Some of the reasons why his name is still uttered with such fervor
have to do with his interpretation of the style of the times, as well
as his unique views on stone and building materials. The pathways he
forged in Turkish art are methods that are still being copied today.
The most important discovery in the Sinan school of Ottoman
architecture was undoubtedly the formulization of the most ideal
relations between domes and structures. The aim of this particular
article is to explore some of the more unknown or unspoken of aspects
of this genius around the 425th anniversary of his death in April.
Sinan was an Ottoman...
While the exact birth date of Sinan is not known, it is believed that
he was born in 1489. And though there are various claims that his
ethnic roots were Croatian, Slovenian, Persian or Bosnian -- he was
taken in by the janissaries as a boy -- it is difficult to determine
which of these is true. Notes Mulayim, who has done much research on
Sinan: "If there were some definitive results as to what his ethic
roots had been -- let's say it had been determined, for example, that
he was Armenian -- this would not change what is already known about
the Ottoman social organization ways. In fact, the whole process and
functioning of Ottomanization would be confirmed once again with yet
another example." The fact that Sinan grew up in a household where
Turkish was spoken from the time he was a young boy strengthens the
belief that he was probably a member of the Karamanlı group.
Poet friend details his life
The most detailed information that exists about the life of Sinan can
be found in "Tezkiret-ul Bunyan," (loosely translated: Biography of a
building) written by his close friend, poet Mustafa Celebi. In talking
about his life, Sinan said, "This lowly person became a janissary
under the dynasty of Sultan Selim Han, growing up in Kayseri where
he came of age."
And so it was that Sinan arrived in the Ottoman capital later at
the age of 22. He began his studies in a school that looked out upon
the Hippodrome. Seeing the Hagia Sophia as he did every day resulted
in setting the goal of trying to surpass this magnificent structure
with something of his own creation. As noted in "Tezkiret-ul Bunyan,"
Sinan was already showing an inclination for carpentry. It is also
noted that around this time, he joined Yavuz Sultan Selim on a journey
to Egypt, but many historians shy away from confirming this.
Joins in the Belgrade campaign as a janissary
Sinan did join the campaigns alongside Kanunî Sultan Suleyman in
1521 to Belgrade and to Rhodes in 1522. In those years, he was still
a janissary. Sinan was made a member of the royal hunt keepers thanks
to his services and also joined in the Battle of Mohác, becoming
the infantry colonel for the "more inexperienced youth." Later, he
was made infantry colonel of the troops directly under the sultan,
and later the infantry colonel for the archery unit of the janissaries.
As an archer, Sinan joined in the 1532 Alaman and Irakeyn military
campaigns in modern-day Germany and Iraq, and because of his successes
in these ventures, he was ordered by Lutfî Pasha to make three wooden
galleys in Tatvan. The efforts put forth by Sinan while trying to
cross the Prut River were important not only for his personal history,
but also for architectural history. The mastery he displayed at the
age of 48 in creating these wooden vessels was legendary, and wound
up in truly opening the path to his renowned status as chief architect.
Served Ottomans for 49 years as head architect
French architect Le Corbusier said of Sinan, "He is one of two
architects throughout history who completely understood locality and
space." (For those who are curious, the other architect, according to
Le Corbusier, was Frank Lloyd Wright.) In 1537, Sinan was made head
architect. He served a full 49 years under the reigns of Kanunî
Sultan Suleyman, Sultan Selim II, and Sultan Murat III. Over this
period of time, he signed off on three masterpieces which served to
cement his reputation: Å~^ehzade Mosque (1548), which he referred to as
his "apprenticeship masterpiece," Suleymaniye Mosque (1558), which he
referred to as his "more experienced masterpiece," and Selimiye Mosque
(1575), which he admitted was his "masterwork." The signature he left
behind on his architectural pieces reflected his modesty at heart:
"El Fakir-ul-Hakir Sinan" (Your humble and lowly servant Sinan)
Sinan wound up marrying Mihri Hatun and had a son named Mehmet
and two daughters named Neslihan and Ummuhan. Historian Ä°brahim
Hakkı Konyalı claims that Sinan had in fact five daughters and two
sons. Sinan had two more wives named GulrÃ" and Mihri.
His gravesite is in Suleymaniye, on Fetva YokuÅ~_u
Sinan died on April 9, 1588 at the age of 99. Notes Mulayim: "He put
an end to the stylistic anarchy that had settled so deeply in regions
and cities, putting forth his own identity in world architecture on
a global level. This identity left traces that remain until today and
a profound influence on the fate of art in regions where the Ottoman
order was in place." The gravesite of this great architect can be
found immediately on the left of the gateway exiting the Ä°stanbul
Mufti headquarters, on Fetva YokuÅ~_u, where two boulevards intersect.
Over the course of his long life, Sinan was responsible for the
design of 92 mosques, 52 mescits, 55 madrasas, seven daru'l-kurra
(room for Quran studies), 20 tombs, 17 soup kitchens, three health
clinics, six aqueducts, 10 bridges, 20 caravanserais, 36 palaces,
eight vaults and 48 hamams. His own final resting place though is a
simple white tomb facing the Golden Horn from Suleymaniye Mosque.
http://www.todayszaman.com/news-314321-the-architect-who-built-minarets-and-a-tradition-that-reaches-to-the-sky-koca-sinan.html
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress