A famous architect of this time was Mimar Sinan, who served as an architect for at least 300 projects in Istanbul. He looked at architecture a different way and was influenced by many other architectural styles, with one of the main influencesbeing the Byzantine architecture. Sinan changed the porportions and opened the interior of the mosques, freeing it from the many structural components of previous mosques. An open-air hall with a curved ceiling was known as an iwan and were a common addition during the classical period. In addition, Sinan focused on light and shadowing and redesigned the windows so that they were much larger. Also, he added color to the windows by making them, what we know as, stained glass. During the classical periods, inner and outer courtyards were added. By Sinan's time, the basic stucture of the mosque was established. Mosques of this time consisted of  an open prayer hall covered by a hemispherical dome, a covered portico, and a slender minaret.

 

Some famous mosques from this time period include:

• Hagia Sophia, Istanbul

• Yavuz Selim Mosque, Istanbul

• Bayezid II Mosque, Istanbul

• Üc Serefeli Mosque, Edirne

• Sehzade Mosque, Istanbul

• Süleymaniye Mosque, Istanbul

• Rüstem Pasha Mosque, Istanbul

• Mihrimah Mosque, Istanbul

• Selimiye Mosque, Edirne

• Tarsus Grand Mosque, Tarsus, Mersin

• Sultan Ahmed Mosque, Istanbul

• Basdurak Mosque, İsmir

• Hagia Sophia, Istanbul

  • originally a church and converted into a mosque in 1453