Süleymaniye Mosque courtyard

The esplanade of the mosque of Suleiman, in Istanbul

The esplanade of the mosque of Suleiman, with its domed portico and its ablution fountain, prepares the visitor for contemplation before entering. The Istanbul audio-guided tour stops here, with respect, to evoke this vast forecourt with twenty-eight domes and twenty-four ancient columns, whose minarets and balconies recall the rank of Suleiman, and the neighbouring mausoleum where the sultan rests beside his wife Roxelane.

History

Here you are on the esplanade of the mosque of Suleiman, a vast forecourt that announces the grandeur of the place. It comprises a portico crowned with twenty-eight domes supported by twenty-four ancient columns. In the centre stands a small construction of white marble, a sadirvan, a sort of fountain serving for the ritual ablutions before prayer. The mosque, with its four minarets and its ten balconies, discreetly recalls that Suleiman was the fourth Ottoman sultan after the conquest of Constantinople and the tenth of the dynasty. In the cemetery located in front of the mosque, you can see the mausoleum of the sultan, of octagonal form and crowned with a dome decorated with marble, that shelters his tomb as well as those of his wife Roxelane and their children. A place of memory marked by gravity, this esplanade and its mausoleum invite to contemplation and respect, in the calm that suits the burial of a great sovereign and his family.

What to see

Here you discover, with respect, the vast forecourt of the mosque of Suleiman, its portico of twenty-eight domes and twenty-four ancient columns, and its ablution fountain; its four minarets and ten balconies recall the rank of the sultan, and the neighbouring mausoleum shelters his tomb and those of Roxelane and their children. The esplanade is a place of memory marked by gravity, to be approached with respect. It is a fine stop, to be explored on foot.

Practical information

The esplanade and the mausoleum of the mosque of Suleiman lie on the hill dominating the Grand Bazaar, in Istanbul, reachable on foot. It is a place of worship and burial in activity, whose access is made in respect and contemplation, outside the hours of prayer; the hours vary. It is best to enquire before coming and to adopt correct attire.

Who rests in the mausoleum of the mosque of Suleiman in Istanbul?

The sultan Suleiman the Magnificent rests there, in an octagonal mausoleum crowned with a marble dome located in the cemetery in front of the mosque, beside his wife Roxelane and their children; the esplanade, with its portico of twenty-eight domes and its minarets, recalls his rank of fourth Ottoman sultan after the conquest of Constantinople.

Where is the esplanade of the mosque of Suleiman in Istanbul?

On the hill dominating the Grand Bazaar, in Istanbul, in Turkey.