Sinan the Architect, or Mimar Sinan as we call him in Turkish, was the chief architect of the Ottoman Empire responsible for the construction of over 300 major structures. His exceptional talent puts him into an equal status with Renaissance artists such as Michelangelo, Bramante and Brunelleschi.

Sinan is considered as the creator of “classic” Ottoman architecture. His masterpiece Selimiye Mosque in Edirne and his other major works such as Suleymaniye Mosque, Maglova Aqueduct, Tombs of Süleyman, Selim and Sehzade Mehmet and Buyukcekmece Bridge are just few examples of his unique genius.

Documentary maker Cuneyt Karaahmetoglu made this timelapse video as a tribute to his legacy. Sponsored by Turkish Airlines and Sony, this timelapse video shows the beauty of Istanbul in four seasons. Each moment was taken from a minaret of Sinan’s mosques. I hope you enjoy this tribute to Sinan’s legacy as much as I did.

Sources: Image taken from video; Osmanli Mimarisi, Dogan Kuban, YEM Publishing