The Restoration

Courtyard Restoration

After centuries of deterioration, during the 20^th centuries, significant efforts were made to restore the Süleymaniye Mosque. Viewing the mosque as a proud representation of the Ottoman Empire’s once glorious past, city officials began allocating more funding to the preservation of the mosque.

Repainted Dome Interior

Most recently, in 2007, Turkey’s General Directorate of Foundations began a three-year, 15 million USD restoration effort. The purpose of the project was to return the mosque to its original grandeur and preserve the cultural heritage for the educational benefit of the public. According to the Istanbul Foundations Director İbrahim Özekinci, “the Foundations General Directorate had acted with great ambition and determination on this project, with the desire to see the ancient structure protected for future generations to enjoy” (1) As part of the restoration project, the central dome was strengthened through adding special cement mixtures and multiple paintings and pieces of calligraphy were restored to their original resplendent colors (2). This restoration process supports the mosque’s significance as a lieux de memoire. Because city officials viewed the mosque as an important cultural and historical site, they took great efforts to ensure its preservation for future posterity.

1) "Turkey's Restored Süleymaniye Mosque to Re-Open after 3 Years for Eid Al-Adha." IslamToday. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Nov. 2016.

2) "Mosque Restoration Destroy Acoustics - RELIGION." Hürriyet Daily News. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Nov. 2016.