This is one in a number of pictures where I "zoom in" towards the central dome. For more about the Selimiye see the first pictures in the whole series.
According to Architect Sinan Selimiye was his greatest work and he said he builded a superior building then Hagia Sophia. The diameter of the dome is 33,28 meter. According to him this was his dream during his career. As a very old man he achieved his goal. After he completed the mosque he builded some other buildings but soon Sinan died at the age of 98. Selimiye was constructed on a single rock and the minarets were erected close to main body to impress people. The original tiles of the mosque was stolen by Russian Commander during the invasion and in 1913 Bulgarians attacked mosque. Ataturk ordered not to reconstruct the damaged part to show next generations but it was restored after him.
