Sinan, one of the most famous architects in the Ottoman Empire, draws inspiration from the Hagia Sophia and arguably surpasses it
Location City: Istanbul
Magnificent blue-and-white tiles adorn this room in the Topkapı Palace, Istanbul.
Topkapı Palace tiles
a powerful Byzantine court official builds himself a dazzling burial chapel
Picturing salvation — Chora’s brilliant Byzantine mosaics ...
This mosaic shows how the arts—and an interest in naturalism—flourished in the final centuries of the Byzantine Empire.
Late Byzantine naturalism: Hagia Sophia’s Deësis mosaic
Learn why the Byzantines argued about images for over a century.
Byzantine Iconoclasm and the Triumph of Orthodoxy
After the Ottomans conquered Constantinople, the sultan repurposed this church, adding slender “pencil” minarets.
Hagia Sophia as a mosque
This mosque was the crowning achievement of architect Sinan’s career and a trophy of Ottoman imperial grandeur.
Mimar Sinan, Süleymaniye Mosque, Istanbul
Alexander the Great conquered the known world, but who was this monument for and what does it symbolize?
The Alexander Sarcophagus
The size and solidity of this Virgin and Christ reaffirmed the power of images in the wake of Byzantine iconoclasm.
Theotokos mosaic, Hagia Sophia, Istanbul
After the Ottomans conquered Constantinople, the sultan repurposed this church, adding slender “pencil” minarets.
Hagia Sophia as a mosque
Unlike other of Sinan’s mosques, this one is covered with tiles, sits above shops, and is accessed from a stairway.
Mimar Sinan, Rüstem Pasha Mosque, Istanbul
With its stacked domes and six minarets, the Blue Mosque dominates Istanbul’s skyline—and the nearby Hagia Sophia.
The Blue Mosque (Sultan Ahmet Camii)
The golden dome of this vast building appears suspended from heaven. It has withstood quakes, conquest, and crusades.
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