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The life of Sinan the Architect (Mimar Sinan) and his works are widely famous but he also had a love story which is not known by a majority.His love to Mihrimah Sultan,the daughter of Hürrem Sultan…
Hürrem Sultan gives a birth to a daughter.As this baby is a reflection of a legendary love affair,perhaps she is named as Mihrimah(the sun and moon) referring to this fabulous love story.Mihr-ü Mah means the sun and moon in Persian.When Mihrimah is seventeen,a good age to get married in those years,there are two suitors of hers.One of them is Rüstem Pasha,the governer of Diyarbakır, and the other is Sinan the Architect,the head architect of palace.
The padisah weds Rüstem Pasha and Mihrimah as Sinan is 50 and already married but it is clear that Sinan is deeply in love with Mihrimah Sultan.Though he isn’t able to achieve his dream,he reflects his feelings to his art.
He is given an order to built a mosque in Üsküdar with the name of Mihrimah Sultan in 1458.While constructing it,Sinan the Architect shapes the overall silhouette as a woman in her skirt.Also the masterwork that he is inspired for the Mihrimah Sultan Mosque is Haghi Sophia(another masterpiece dedicated to a holy love)
The mosque is so small referring to plain,pure and noble beauty of Mihrimah Sultan.The minaret is just 38 mt.161 windows ,located on the elegant dome, presents how her inner beauty is clear.In those years Mimar Sinan was the only architect who was able to place that much windows on a dome with that width and thickness.
Though the status of Mihrimah Sultan lets her mosque have 2 minarets,Sinan builds it with one in order to symbolize his loneliness.
Sinan sealed his love with such a big charm that,it is impossible not to admire the reality and naivety of his love.The places of two mosques,which are the signs of masters’s love,are specified meticulously.On March 21,on which the day and night are equal,if you watch the sky at a place both the Üsküdar Mihrimah Sultan Mosque and Edirnekapı Mihrimah Sultan Mosque can be seen,you will see that while the sun sets behind minaret of the Üsküdar Mihrimah Sultan Mosque,at the same time the moon rises between the minarets of the Edirne Mihrimah Sultan Mosque.
Besides,21st March is Mihrimah Sultan’s birthdate.
Mihrimah Sultan Mosque (Edirne kapı
Mihrimah Sultan Mosque (Üsküdar)
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