It is said that the sultan Selim II saw Mohammed in a dream and decided to build a mosque on that place. Mimar Sinan, the greatest architect of the XVIth century was 80 yrs.old by the time he was asked by the sultan to do it. Selimiye is a UNESCO site since 2011.

The Selimiye Mosque is a big complex holding also a madrasa (religious Islamic school), tombs, and baths. Murat III added also a bazaar with 124 shops. The income of the shops financed the mosque.

Inside the mosque a huge cupola sustained by 8 “elephant legs” columns looks like an immense space. The main cupola and those from sides, as well as the walls above the windows are splendidly adorned with patterns drawn in fine lines and using good color mixtures.

The minbar (the place where the imam delivers the sermon) is situated to the right of the mihrab (part of the mosque indicating the direction to Mecca). This one is made from a white marble monolith and has 25 stairs.

Beautiful both outside and inside, this mosque represents Sinan’s masterpiece. It is said that the sultan asked that the minbar should be placated with gold. Sinan told him that because the gold is much asked those days, some will come and steel the gold, harming the construction. Instead, he promised he will make something more valuable. And he kept his word.

Orasul Edirne a fost primul in care am intrat in Turcia. N-am vizitat nimic, cu exceptia Moscheii Selimiye care era in program si care mi-a oferit prima mostra de arhitectura islamica otomana pe care o vedeam.

Edirne este fostul Adrianopole, numit dupa imparatul roman care l-a fondat, apoi capitala a imperiului otoman dupa Bursa si inainte de Istanbul. In oras sunt mai multe moschei, mai vechi decat Selimiye (1575) dar aceasta din urma este o capodopera, capodopera celui mai mare arhitect otoman din secolul al XVI-lea si unul dintre cei mai mari ai lumii, arhitectul Mimar Sinan. In 2011 ea a fost inclusa in patrimoniul UNESCO.

Legenda spune ca sultanul Selim II l-a vazut intr-un vis pe Mohammed si a decis sa construiasca o moschee in acel loc. Sinan avea 80 de ani cand sultanul i-a cerut sa o construiasca.

Moschea Selimiye  reprezinta de fapt un complex cu o madrasa (scoala religioasa islamica), bai, morminte. In jurul lor a fost construit, de catre Murat III, si un bazar cu 124 de magazine, al caror venit ajuta moscheea. Cele patru minarete incadreaza gratios constructia, indicand – prin numar – si gradul imperial al moscheii. Constructia a durat din 1568 pana in 1575.

Moscheea are mai multe porti si 384 de ferestre. Deasupra intrarii principale, intr-un cartus, este indicat anul inceperii si cel al terminarii constructiei. In curtea principala, atrage atentia o fantana din marmora alba, fara acoperis. Aici credinciosii savarsesc spalarea rituala inainte de a intra in moschee.

Una dintre piesele cele mai frumoase este minbarul (loc de unde imamul isi rosteste predica), sculptat dintr-un monolit de marmora si avand 25 de trepte. Minbarul se afla la dreapta mihrabului, locul care indica directia Meccai spre care se inchina credinciosii. Initial, sultanul ii ceruse lui Sinan un minbar invelit in aur dar acesta i-a raspuns ca, intrucat este mare cerere de aur, vor veni unii cu ciocanul si vor strica minbarul…A promis insa ca va face ceva mult mai valoros si s-a tinut de cuvant.