Ottoman Architecture: Relationships between Architectural Design and Mathematics in Sinan’s Works

Abstract

In the architecture of Sinan, the most important element is the dome, which forms the central point of the whole structure; therefore the overall structure of the building is oriented towards carrying and supporting the dome. The system of relationships between the elements establishing the dimensions and constituting the buildings has been based upon the dimensions of the human body. These dimensions were observed in storey layers related to the façade, in the choice of the proportions of building elements such as windows and doors, and in calculating the proportional relations of such elements/details. Sinan, who was called “the Euclid of his age”, developed a system of forms through an understanding of architecture based on geometry, and through the consideration of functions. Examples of Sinan’s use of mathematical principles are found on the Suleymaniye Mosque, whose huge dome placed at the epicenter of the complex design.

First published as: Zafer Sagdic, “Ottoman Architecture: Relationships between Architectural Design and Mathematics in Architect Sinan ’s Works”, pp. 123–132 in Nexus III: Architecture and Mathematics, ed. Kim Williams, Ospedaletto (Pisa): Pacini Editore, 2000.