One of the loose ends--it was still closed for renovations in October--was to see Istanbul's greatest mosque, that of Suleiman the Magnificent, the 16th century sultan who saw the empire reach its zenith in most every way. It was designed by Sinan the Architect, buried nearby, one of the 131 mosques he designed in his 97 years. Most interestingly, this mosque was the center of a huge social services center, soup kitchen for the poor, housing for travelers, baths, hospital, school, library, etc. I wonder if they had free wifi. Anyhow, I liked this mosque, far more than the blue one: there was a simplicity of design and decor here that added to the sense of height and massiveness.
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Hemmed-in as it is, both by its own campus
and courtyard and then city buildings all
around, it is difficult to get a picture with
even most of the mosque in it
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Interior
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Great dome, 52m up there
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Beautiful Islamic glass
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More interior
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One of the four minarets
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Larger exterior view
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