Mimar Sinan was born between 893 AH / 1488 AD and 902 AH / 1497 AD and was most probably of Armenian or Greek origin. After receiving a technical education and working as military engineer, and later as a Janissary commander, he became chief architect to the Ottoman sultans Suleiman I (also called Suleiman the Lawgiver and Suleiman the Magnificent, c.900–974 AH / c.1494–1566 AD), Selim II (930–982 AH / 1524–1574 AD), and Murad III (953–1003 AH / 1546–1595 AD). He was responsible for over 300 buildings, including masterpieces of classical Ottoman architecture such as the Selimiye Mosque in Edirne and the Süleymaniye Mosque in Istanbul.

Necipoğlu, G. (2005). The age of Sinan: Architectural culture in the Ottoman Empire. Princeton Univ. Press.

Kuban, D. (2010). Ottoman architecture. Antique Collectors’ Club.