Tombs and interior
Tombs of Suleiman the Magnificent and Roxelana
Tombs of Suleiman the Magnificent and Roxelana, Istanbul, Turkey
The tombs of Suleiman the Magnificent and Roxelana are located in the hazire burial garden at the Suleymaniye Mosque in the Fatih district, on the Third Hill of Istanbul's historic peninsula. This is one of the most recognizable sites of Ottoman funerary architecture and part of a large complex built by the great architect Sinan.
The turbe of Sultan Suleiman is an octagonal domed building with an open gallery supported by marble columns and pointed arches. Suleiman I died in 1566 during the siege of Szigetvár, and his tomb was erected shortly afterwards and is traditionally attributed to Sinan. Inside, the walls are decorated with Iznik tiles and calligraphic panels.
Nearby stands the more compact tomb of Hurrem Sultan, known in Europe as Roxelana. By the sultan's order Sinan built an octagonal turbe for her in 1558. The interior is distinguished by Iznik tiles, carved marble and Quranic inscriptions.
The turbes are in the open part of the Suleymaniye Mosque complex. They are usually accessible during daytime, though access may be restricted during prayers and religious holidays. Entrance is generally free; visitors are advised to wear modest clothing and behave respectfully.
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The tombs of Suleiman the Magnificent and Roxelana are located in the hazire burial garden at the Suleymaniye Mosque in the Fatih district, on the Third Hill of Istanbul's historic peninsula. This is one of the most recognizable sites of Ottoman funerary architecture and part of a large complex built by the great architect Sinan.
The turbe of Sultan Suleiman is an octagonal domed building with an open gallery supported by marble columns and pointed arches. Suleiman I died in 1566 during the siege of Szigetvár, and his tomb was erected shortly afterwards and is traditionally attributed to Sinan. Inside, the walls are decorated with Iznik tiles and calligraphic panels.
Nearby stands the more compact tomb of Hurrem Sultan, known in Europe as Roxelana. By the sultan's order Sinan built an octagonal turbe for her in 1558. The interior is distinguished by Iznik tiles, carved marble and Quranic inscriptions.
The turbes are in the open part of the Suleymaniye Mosque complex. They are usually accessible during daytime, though access may be restricted during prayers and religious holidays. Entrance is generally free; visitors are advised to wear modest clothing and behave respectfully.
Discover the details of Ottoman architecture.
Iznik ceramics and the sultan's turban: details of the visit
In Suleiman's turbe pay attention to the covered gallery with marble columns and pointed arches, and inside note the large candlesticks at the head of the symbolic sarcophagus, the woven coverings and the white turban with a feather aigrette. The color palette of the tiles is typical of 16th-century Iznik work: cobalt blue, turquoise and soft green with vegetal motifs.
Hurrem Sultan's tomb is more compact and intimate. Its interior is decorated with tiles featuring geometric and vegetal motifs and fine marble carving, and the windows provide a soft diffused light that highlights the calligraphic medallions. The hazire grounds also contain separate turbes of Sultan Suleiman II and Sultan Ahmed II - these are easy to recognize by their later 17th-century decorative details.
What to do on site: examine the tiles and calligraphy up close, photograph the marble arcades and the hazire garden, and walk to the terraces behind the mosque for views of the Golden Horn. Nearby are the Grand Bazaar, the Spice Bazaar in Eminönü, the Rüstem Pasha Mosque and the Valens Aqueduct.
How to get there: the easiest way is the T1 tram to the Beyazıt-Kapalıçarşı or Laleli-Üniversite stops, then a 10-15 minute uphill walk; from the Eminönü waterfront the climb takes about 20 minutes.
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