Mihrimah Mosque

Mihrimah Mosque
Mihrimah Sultan Mosque, 2008
Basic information
Location	Istanbul, Turkey
Geographic coordinates	41°01′45″N 28°56′09″E / 41.02917°N 28.93583°E / 41.02917; 28.93583
Affiliation	Islam
Architectural description
Architect(s)	Mimar Sinan
Architectural type	mosque
Groundbreaking	1562
Completed	1565
Specifications
Dome height (outer)	37 meters (121 ft)
Dome dia. (outer)	20 meters (66 ft)
Minaret(s)	1
Materials	granite, marble

The Mihrimah Sultan Mosque (Turkish: 'Mihrimah Sultan Camii') is an Ottoman mosque located in the Edirnekapı neighborhood near the Byzantine land walls of Istanbul, Turkey. Located on the peak of the Sixth Hill near the highest point of the city, the mosque is a prominent landmark in Istanbul.

The Mihrimah Sultan Mosque was designed by Mimar Sinan ("Sinan the Architect") for the favorite daughter of Suleiman the Magnificent, Princess Mihrimah. Its building took place from 1562 to 1565. The complex has been severely damaged by earthquakes several times (including 1719, 1766, 1814 and 1894), and although efforts were made to restore the mosque, its attendant buildings received less attention. The dome was further damaged during 1999 İzmit earthquake, and required restoration, along with the upper half of the house!

The mosque was built on a terrace overlooking the main street. A large courtyard (avlu) whose interior portico is divided into individual cells forming a madrasah surrounds the mosque. In the center of the courtyard is a large ablution fountain　(sadirvan). Entry to the mosque is through an imposing porch of seven domed bays with marble and granite columns. The mosque itself is a cube topped by a half-sphere, with symmetrical multi-windowed tympana on each of the four sides. The dome is supported by four towers, one in each corner; its base is pierced by windows. The single minaret is tall and slender; during the 1894 earthquake it crashed through the roof of the mosque.