The construction of this mosque was commissioned by the sultan Suleymen the Magnificent to the most talented of the architects of the 16C, Sinan, with the aim of surpassing the Aya Sofya basilica, a goal that he achieved. Perched on the third hill of Istanbul, the elegant silhouette of Suleyman’s mosque rises gracefully towards the sky, via a magnificent profusion of domes and perfectly co-ordinated curved and oblique lines. As an affirmation of the glory of God and the greatness of Suleyman, the interior certainly lives up to its billing with its 138 stained-glass windows, calligraphy of a rare finesse, ceramics, marble columns etc. From the terraced gardens, the view extends as far as the Golden Horn.