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The Selimiye Mosque

Decent Essays

The Selimiye Mosque located in Edirne, Turkey stands for over 400 years as a place of Islamic practice. The mosque has had some changes, but it still remains a functioning mosque for the people of Edirne. Commissioned by Sultan Selim II, Selimiye was constructed by famous architect Mimar Sinan and completed in 1574. Selimiye was constructed during the middle of the Ottoman Dynasty and remains a structure that highlights not only Ottoman architecture, but Islamic architecture.
The Ottoman Empire has a long history spanning over 600 years. The Turks were first pushed from their home in Central Asian and relocated to Western Anatolia. Originally the Turks were a nomadic tribe living on the prairie. Osman Gazi ben Ertugrul or Osman I, a Ghazi warrior, founded what would become the Ottoman Empire. The Ottoman Empire acquired lead during the Crusades, a military campaign started by the Catholic Church. The fourth Crusade led to the fall of the Byzantine Empire allowing the Ottoman Empire to take over. The Ottomans captured the Byzantine capital of Constantinople, now Istanbul and started their conquest for land and power. This was the first Islamic empire to infiltrate Europe and Asia. The Ottoman Empire dominated much of the known world by its organized, well equipped, and efficient army. The military of Ottoman’s possessed would lead to one of the most powerful empires of the time. Their focus included expansion of land, meaning gaining power. The Ottoman’s reached their

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