Photo: Turkey Your Way
Mimar Sinan Tomb
The modest tomb the great Ottoman architect built for himself beside his Süleymaniye, with a domed fountain at the street corner.
Overview
The Mimar Sinan Tomb is the small grave that the great Ottoman architect built for himself beside the Süleymaniye. Sinan built great mosques for sultans, but for his own rest he chose a modest open tomb at a street corner. A domed fountain marks the corner, and a poem by his friend Sâî Mustafa Çelebi records his death in 1588. For the tombs of the sultans, see our Ottoman tombs tour.
Where the Mimar Sinan Tomb stands
The tomb lies beside the Süleymaniye Mosque, inside the great complex that Sinan built for Suleiman the Magnificent. It sits at the corner where two streets meet, in a small walled garden.
Quick facts
- Died: 1588
- Built: by Sinan himself, for his own grave
- Good for: anyone who has seen Sinan's mosques and wants to meet the man behind them
The History of the Mimar Sinan Tomb
The architect's last work
Sinan finished the Süleymaniye in 1557, and he died about thirty years later. By then he had planned a resting place inside the complex. His own tomb is small and plain. So the man who raised the city's great domes chose to lie under a simple roof.
His friend, the poet Sâî Mustafa Çelebi, wrote down Sinan's life from his own words. After the architect died, Sâî also wrote the verse inscription for the tomb. That poem is the only record that gives the year of his death.
What to See at the Tomb
The fountain and the tomb
At the corner stands an octagonal fountain under a small dome, where passers-by once took a drink of water. Behind it, inside the low wall, an open canopy on arches shelters the stone sarcophagus. Look for Sâî's verse inscription on the enclosure wall.
Visiting the Mimar Sinan Tomb
How to visit the tomb
The tomb stands inside a small walled enclosure, so ask us to confirm whether it is open before you plan a visit.
Before you go
Visit the tomb after the Süleymaniye itself, so that you see Sinan's grandest work first. Then walk on to the Şehzade Mosque, one of his earlier mosques. To learn more about the man, read our page on Mimar Sinan, and for the rest of the city, see our Istanbul guide.
Updated: October 30, 2026.
Seeing the Mimar Sinan Tomb with Us
Would you like to end a day of Sinan's mosques at his own grave? We can add the tomb to our Mimar Sinan tour or our hidden Sinan mosques tour. We end that day at the grave of the architect himself; name your date.
Map
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Frequently asked questions
Where is Mimar Sinan buried?
In a small tomb beside the Süleymaniye Mosque in Istanbul, inside the great complex he built for Suleiman the Magnificent.
Did Sinan design his own tomb?
Yes. He built a modest open tomb for himself, small and plain, with a domed fountain at the street corner.
When did Mimar Sinan die?
He died in 1588. A verse inscription by his friend, the poet Sâî Mustafa Çelebi, records the year.
Can visitors see the tomb?
It stands inside a small walled enclosure in the Süleymaniye complex. Ask us to confirm whether it is open before you plan a visit.
