Categories: Antiquities

Masterpieces of Architecture in Turkey Built by Armenians and Greeks

Almost all the most famous masterpieces of Islamic architecture in Turkey were built by Christian architects, mainly Armenians and Greeks.

Today, one can often hear theses in Azerbaijani groups about how evil Armenians destroy mosques. Similarly, Azerbaijanis aim to turn all Muslims against Armenians. But in fairness, it should be noted that in modern Turkey, more than 870 mosques are former Christian Armenian churches.

Besides these churches, about 360 mosques, including the most famous masterpieces of Turkey, were built by Armenian architects who, as Christians, erected religious buildings for Muslim believers.

We will bring up as examples only 10 of the most famous mosques in Turkey which are the symbols of this country.

Pertevniyal Valide Sultan Mosque 1869-1871 Architect-Sarkis Balian
Mosque Mihrimah Sultan (Uskudar) Built in the years 1546-1548 Architect Sinan
Suleymaniye Mosque Built in 1550-1557 Architect Sinan
Ortakoy Mosque. Built in 1854. Architect Nikogos Balyan
Sokolu Mehmed Pasha Mosque 1571-1572 years Architect Sinan
Ortakoy Mosque. Built in 1854. Architect Nikogos Balyan
Ortakoy Mosque. Built in 1854. Architect Nikogos Balyan
Suleymaniye Mosque Built in 1550-1557 Architect Sinan
Mosque Mihrimah Sultan (Uskudar) Built in the years 1546-1548 Architect Sinan
Selimiye Mosque (UNESCO World Heritage List) Built in 1569-1575 Architect Sinan
Vigen Avetisyan

View Comments

  • Seljuk Turk architecture in places like Esfahan Iran or Mosques in Uzbekistan built by Central Asian Turks is genuine Turkic Islamic architecture.

    Mosques built in Turkey by Sinan and other Christian converts were all copies of Byzantine Church architecture and in a sense it is not really Turkic and honestly I dont see it as part of Turkic history.

    I guess if you were to visit Esfhan Iran you"ll honestly realise how much more elegant the architecture is compared to the Suleymaniye Mosque in Turkey ( built by Sinan.)

    The Ottoman architecture was nothing but a fusion between Arab and Byzantine architecture and as such I could say it is the least of all Turkic architecture.

Recent Posts

Dura-Europos and Ancient Armenia: A Crossroads of Priests, Inscriptions, and the Cult of Mithra

Introduction The fresco reproduced above — three white-robed priests, one wearing a tall conical hat,…

2 days ago

From Lake Van to Yerevan: The Bronze Helmet of Urartu, the First Armenia

The crested bronze helmet on the left of this comparison was not made by a…

1 week ago

A Tower Crowned by a Lion-Rider: Reading a Bronze Age Cult Vessel Through the Lens of the Armenian Highlands

A small, weathered piece of fired clay — barely 31 centimeters tall — sits today…

2 weeks ago

A Hand Reaching Through Three Millennia: The Bronze Pendant from Yeghvard

Pendant (Amulet) in the Shape of a Human Hand | 7th–6th centuries BC | Yeghvard…

3 weeks ago

Duduk (Tsiranapogh): The Ancient Voice of Armenia from the Bronze Age to UNESCO Heritage

Introduction The duduk (Armenian: դուդուկ)—traditionally known as tsiranapogh (ծիրանափող, “apricot-wood pipe”)—is one of the most…

3 weeks ago

The Earliest Known Mention of Yerevan in Armenian Epigraphy: The 874 Inscription of Sevanavank

Perched on the rocky peninsula of Lake Sevan, the medieval monastery of Sevanavank preserves one…

1 month ago