13 moments

1. Birth at Ağırnas

   1490-01-01 · Ağırnas, Kayseri Province, Turkey

   

   Sinan was born at Ağırnas, a settlement near Kayseri in central Anatolia. The year is conventionally given as 1490, though scholarship cited by the article records uncertainty over the precise year. The birth year is conventionally given as 1490 but is disputed in the biographical literature.

2. Sent to Constantinople for Janissary training

   1512-01-01 · Constantinople, Ottoman Empire (now Istanbul, Turkey)

   

   Sinan entered Ottoman service through the devshirme system and was sent to Constantinople for training connected with the Janissary Corps.

3. Belgrade campaign

   1521-01-01 · Belgrade, Ottoman Empire (now Serbia)

   

   Sinan took part as a Janissary in the Ottoman imperial campaign against Belgrade, an early documented military movement in his career. Coordinate represents Belgrade rather than a precisely identified campaign encampment or siege position.

4. Mohács campaign

   1526-01-01 · Mohács, Kingdom of Hungary (now Hungary)

   

   Sinan participated in the Mohács campaign; following it, he received responsibility connected with ammunition administration according to the provincial government biography. The source identifies the year and campaign, not a precise battlefield position; coordinate represents Mohács.

5. Vienna campaign

   1529-01-01 · Vienna, Archduchy of Austria (now Austria)

   

   Sinan took part in the 1529 expedition to Vienna during his advancement through the Ottoman military establishment. Coordinate represents Vienna; the source does not identify a specific camp or siege position.

6. Baghdad campaign

   1535-01-01 · Baghdad, Ottoman Iraq (now Iraq)

   

   As a commanding officer of the Royal Guard, Sinan participated in the Baghdad campaign, part of his military-engineering career before his chief architectural office. Coordinate represents Baghdad rather than a particular campaign camp.

7. Warship construction on Lake Van

   1535-01-01 · Lake Van near Tatvan, Ottoman Empire (now Bitlis Province, Turkey)

   During the Persian campaign, Sinan built vessels used by the army and artillery to cross Lake Van, a formative military-engineering achievement. Coordinate represents the Tatvan-side shore of Lake Van; the exact shipbuilding site is not specified in the source.

8. Apulia expedition

   1537-01-01 · Apulia, Kingdom of Naples (now Italy)

   Sinan accompanied the 1537 Ottoman expedition to Apulia in southern Italy, a geographically distinct movement in the same campaign season. The source supports presence in Apulia but does not identify a specific locality; coordinate is a representative point for the region.

9. Corfu expedition

   1537-01-01 · Corfu, Ottoman campaign theatre (now Greece)

   Sinan went on the Ottoman expedition to Corfu after receiving the rank of Haseki, continuing his service as a military engineer and officer. Coordinate represents Corfu town and harbor area rather than a particular Ottoman encampment.

10. Moldavian campaign and Prut bridge

    1538-01-01 · Prut River, Moldavia (present-day Moldova-Romania border)

    During the Moldavian campaign, Sinan built a bridge for the Ottoman army across the Prut after earlier bridge attempts failed; the episode became central to accounts of his appointment as chief architect. The exact crossing point is not specified; coordinate is a defensible representative point on the Prut in the Moldavian campaign area.

11. Büyükçekmece Bridge construction

    1566-01-01 · Kanuni Sultan Süleyman Bridge, Büyükçekmece, Istanbul, Turkey

    

    Sinan began work on the Büyükçekmece Bridge, a major crossing west of Istanbul. His autobiography describes his investigation of the site and his direction of the construction work. Construction began in 1566; the quoted autobiographical passage directly documents Sinan's on-site investigation and work, while the date is supported by the Büyükçekmece municipal history.

12. Selimiye Mosque construction

    1568-01-01 · Selimiye Mosque, Edirne, Turkey

    

    Sinan worked on Selim II’s imperial mosque in Edirne, the building he identified as the culmination of his architectural career. Construction began in 1568. The autobiography directly identifies Sinan's work on the mosque at Edirne; the exact commencement year is corroborated by the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

13. Death in Constantinople

    1588-07-17 · Constantinople, Ottoman Empire (now Istanbul, Turkey)

    

    Sinan died in Constantinople after a career spanning Ottoman military service and nearly five decades as chief imperial architect. Coordinate represents central historic Constantinople; the exact place of death is not specified.