Sinan Pasha Mosque

The mosque of Sinan Pasha, in Istanbul

The mosque of Sinan Pasha is an elegant Ottoman mosque of the sixteenth century, work of the great architect Mimar Sinan. The Istanbul audio-guided tour stops here, with respect, to evoke this building modest on the outside but with richly decorated domes, raised for the great admiral Sinan Pasha, and its neighbouring Koranic school, the medersa, that testify to the refinement of the Ottoman golden age.

History

This small mosque that you see on your right is the Ottoman mosque of Sinan Pasha. It dates from the sixteenth century and was built by Mimar Sinan, the chief architect of Suleiman the Magnificent, to whom is owed at least three hundred major projects. If it does not look like much seen from the outside, its domes are in reality richly decorated with coloured mosaics and illuminated by stained glass. Sinan Pasha was a great Ottoman admiral who served in the navy under the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent, and who was also the brother of the Grand Vizier. Around the mosque unfolds the medersa, the Koranic school, present in all the mosques. The name medersa, or madrasa, would come from the Hebrew Midrash, of which the root means to examine, to interrogate in depth, which suits marvellously a school. You will visit this place of prayer with respect, in the calm conducive to contemplation.

What to see

Here you admire, with respect, an elegant Ottoman mosque of the sixteenth century signed Mimar Sinan, the architect of Suleiman the Magnificent; modest on the outside, it reveals domes decorated with mosaics and stained glass, and is surrounded by its medersa, the Koranic school, raised for the great admiral Sinan Pasha. The mosque of Sinan Pasha is a refined place of prayer, to be visited with respect. It is a fine stop, to be explored on foot.

Practical information

The mosque of Sinan Pasha lies in Beşiktaş, in Istanbul, reachable on foot. It is a place of worship in activity, whose access is made in the respect of the services and of contemplation, outside the hours of prayer; the hours vary. It is best to enquire before coming, to adopt correct attire and to remove your shoes at the entrance.

Who built the mosque of Sinan Pasha in Istanbul?

It was built in the sixteenth century by Mimar Sinan, the chief architect of Suleiman the Magnificent, author of at least three hundred major projects; raised for the great Ottoman admiral Sinan Pasha, brother of the Grand Vizier, it hides behind its modest exterior domes richly decorated with mosaics and stained glass, and is accompanied by its medersa, the Koranic school.

Where is the mosque of Sinan Pasha in Istanbul?

In Beşiktaş, in Istanbul, in Turkey.