Why Is Mimar Sinan a Design Genius?

YEM Yayın has published the new edition of Prof. Dr. Reha Günay's book, in which he pursued the question "Why is Sinan a design genius?" and shared his findings with readers.

In his new work, Reha Günay, who previously examined Sinan and his structures in great detail in his published books, explains the qualities that distinguish Mimar Sinan from other architects in an easily understandable language for anyone interested in Turkish and Ottoman architecture and culture, especially those just beginning their education in architecture, interior architecture, design, art, engineering, history, etc.

In the book, Günay briefly and clearly explains, using a "question-answer-example" method, who Mimar Sinan was as a "real person" and what kind of life he led, having been almost transformed into a fairy tale hero not belonging to this world through various legends and many exaggerated stories; what he achieved under what conditions; how he achieved this success with what methods and tools; and how he stood out from his colleagues as a result.

Reha Günay defines his reason for feeling the need to convey Mimar Sinan from this perspective as follows:

“Many of us cannot name Ottoman architects, but there is no one who has not heard of Sinan. Everyone knows him as a great architect; even if they don't know much about Sinan, they remember at least a few rumors; they can also say that he was the architect of the Süleymaniye Mosque in Istanbul and the Selimiye Mosque in Edirne. However, it is a bit difficult to fully answer questions like, 'But why is he a great architect? What did he do to become so famous? What is his difference from other architects? Why do we call Sinan a design genius?'

The Ottoman Beylik was founded in 1299 and expanded rapidly. This small beylic reached the Rumelian side in 1353; until the conquest of Istanbul, it transformed from a small beylic into an empire by dominating many places in Europe, from Albania to Romania, from Greece to Bulgaria. The empire that emerged within 150 years now also had a new worldview. The first külliye built by Fatih Sultan Mehmed in Istanbul is the architectural product of this new view; it is a composition centered around the mosque and developing along its axes. This emerging building type is a cultural center befitting Eastern Rome but also Ottoman with Islamic elements. Thus begins the period of "Ottoman Classical Architecture." Ottoman art would be more influenced by Greco-Roman art in later periods. Until Sinan, the Old Fatih Mosque and Bayezid Mosque shaped Ottoman Classical Architecture as successful examples carrying these influences.

Sinan grew up in such an architectural environment, developed himself as a good observer and thinker, and transitioned from military service to architecture. With a conscious analysis and thought system, he elevated the existing architectural art to great heights with the innovations he created over 50 years and captivated his surroundings. The new principles he introduced to architecture were adopted after him; mosques like Cerrahpaşa, Sultan Ahmed, Yeni Cami, Yeni Fatih, and külliyes like Üsküdar Yeni Valide, Eyüp Sultan, Hekimoğlu Ali Paşa, virtually continued to keep Sinan alive for another 150 years. Therefore, today, we find it difficult to pinpoint Sinan's individual contributions to architecture. However, if we had lived in Sinan's era, we would have been more surprised by each innovation he brought to architecture and admired his works even more than we do today. In this book, we will try to highlight the aspects that made Sinan stand out from his colleagues by touching on these topics...”

CONTENTS

WHO IS SINAN?

Who is Mimar Sinan?

In What Kind of Environment Did He Live?

He Is in Harmony with All Segments of Society

He Served as Chief Architect for Exactly 50 Years

He Is the Architect Who Produced the Most Works

He Is a Good Urban Planner

He Planned the Largest Külliyes

He Is the Architect Who Created Istanbul

HE IS A GENIUS BECAUSE...

He Is a Good Work Scheduler

He Is a Good Observer and Analyst

His Designs Are Analytical and Scientific

He Is Diligent, Determined, and Disciplined

He Knows Building Economics Well

He Provided Ornament-Free; Speed and Economy

He Knows Site Selection Well and Accurately Assesses Topography

He Defines Building Hierarchy Well

He Has Always Been on the Side of Safety

He Is a Good Water Engineer

He Brought Innovations to Traditional Architecture

He Added Uniqueness and Innovation to Every Structure

He Transformed Masonry Structures into Framed Construction Systems

He Reconciled Structure and Space; Developed the Centralized Plan

Sinan's Mosques Are Brighter

He Wrote a Symphony of Domes

He Found Civilized Solutions for Social Functions

IN CONCLUSION...

After So Many Structures, He Developed the Ambition to Surpass Hagia Sophia

He Is a Universal Architect, Not a Local One

He Is Aware of Having Done Important Work