Mosque of Selim II, Mimar Sinan (architect ), 1569 and 1575.
The Mosque of Selim the II is an Ottoman imperial mosque which was made during the height of the Ottoman empire. This is located in the city of Edirne, Turkey. This Mosque is considered to be one of the highest achievements of Islamic architecture.
The form of this is that there is a square prayer hall, stack domes- which is the focus upon entering and has great geometric patterns with squishes hide with big columns which helps to support the pressure of the dome. Selim’s complex and the control center was located in Edirne rather than the capital which was Istanbul. This was made to seem heavenly, dome and adds a major emphasis on the dome to show their power with the different colors. Like the Hagia Sophia which is in Byzantine this mosque makes use of space well to make a grad structure that express the power. Here the minarets and other details are incorporated to better make the Mosque more as a whole and emphasize the great size. The interior of the Mosque also has an octagonal shaped which makes it possible to see the mihrab(which is the wall of a mosque which points nearest to Mecca for praying) from anywhere in the Mosque and also has school, library.
During the time when the Mosque was bulit, the Ottoman Empire was undergoing what is known as “Classical Age'” which began after the fall of Constantinople. During this time frame, a system of different patrimonial rule was based on the authority of Sultan. This time period is also known as the Pax Ottomana which means that there was stability and peace within the Empire.
Works Cited
Lewis, Elizabeth. “Mimar Sinan, Mosque of Selim II, Edirne.” Khan Academy, www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ap-art-history/early-europe-and-colonial-americas/ap-art-islamic-world-medieval/a/mosque-edirne.
Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. “Mosque of Selim.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 21 Apr. 2017, www.britannica.com/topic/Mosque-of-Selim.