Architectural Features of Selimiye Mosque

The Selimiye Mosque, also known as the Selim II Mosque, is a 16th-century mosque located in Konya, Turkey. Adjacent to the mosque on the right is a domed library building added later.

Situated in the Karatay district of Konya, the mosque lies in the city's commercial hub, east of the Aziziye Mosque. It was constructed next to the tomb of Mevlana Celalüddin Rumi, a Persian Sufi mystic, which is now known as the Mevlâna Museum.

Commissioned by Selim II in 1558, while he was still a prince serving as a sanjak governor, the mosque's design was overseen by the renowned architect Mimar Sinan. However, it is notable that the mosque is not mentioned in any of Sinan's autobiographies, in which he only references the renovation of a hospice in Konya. The mosque was completed in 1570, after Selim ascended to the throne as sultan. It has undergone repairs in 1685, 1816, and 1914.

This double-minaret mosque exemplifies 16th-century Ottoman architecture and bears resemblance to the Fatih Mosque in Istanbul. The prayer area is crowned by a large dome, with seven smaller domes adorning the porch. The mihrab is crafted from blue marble, while the minbar is made of white marble.