Sinan: Makers of Islamic Civilization

The buildings of Sinan (c.1490-1588) are ranked with the finest of Renaissance Europe. He was born in Cappadocia, probably into a Greek Christian family. Drafted into the Janissaries during his adolescence, he rapidly gained promotion and distinction as a military engineer. He was appointed Court Architect in 1538, and held that post for the most productive brilliant half-century in Ottoman architecture. His palaces, mosques, fountains, hospitals and tombs completely changed the face of the Ottoman capitals, Istanbul and Edirne. Though little is known of Sinan’s personal life, J.M. Rogers has reconstructed his professional biography from his practice and that of the Court Architects after him. The detailed building accounts of Sulemaniye in Istanbul – one of Sinan’s greatest mosques – demonstrate his masterly coordination of planning, quantity surveying, workforce management, and design and implementation of waterworks, that enabled this vast project to be completed in just seven years.