Sokollu Mehmed Paşa'nın İstanbul'daki imar faaliyetleri
Building activities in Istanbul of Sokollu Mehmed Pasha
Yazar: FATMA ZEHRA POLATTAŞ
Danışman: PROF. DR. FATMA İLKNUR KOLAY
İstanbul Teknik Üniversitesi / Fen Bilimleri Enstitüsü / Mimarlık Ana Bilim Dalı / Mimarlık Tarihi Bilim Dalı
Derece: Yüksek Lisans, 2017
Konu: Mimarlık = Architecture
Dizin: Mimar Sinan = Mimar Sinan ; Mimarlık = Architecture ; Mimarlık tarihi = Architectural history ; Sokullu Mehmet Paşa Cami = Sokullu Mehmet Pasha Mosque ; Sokullu Mehmet Paşa Külliyesi = Sokullu Mehmet Pasha Complex ; Sokullu Mehmet Paşa Medresesi = Sokullu Mehmet Paşa Madrasah

Özet:
16. yüzyıl, Osmanlı İmparatorluğu'nun gerek siyasi gerekse mimari açıdan zirveye ulaştığı bir dönem olmuştur. Bu dönemde ortaya çıkan eserler Klasik Dönem Osmanlı Mimarisinin temelini oluşturmaktadır. Üç padişaha veziriazamlık görevinde bulunmuş olan Sokollu Mehmed Paşa, vakfetmiş olduğu yapılarla döneme damgasını vurmuş bir veziriazamdır. Sokollu Mehmed Paşa'nın yapılarını teker teker inceleyen çeşitli araştırmalar bulunsa da yapıların tamamını ele alan bir çalışma mevcut değildir. Bu çalışma kapsamında, veziriazamın Osmanlı coğrafyasındaki yapılarına genel hatlarıyla değinilmiş olup, İstanbul özelinde yapılar ayrıntılarıyla incelenmiştir. 
1505 yılında Bosna'da dünyaya gelen Sokollu Mehmed Paşa, devşirilerek Edirne Sarayı'na getirilmiştir. Edirne Sarayı'ndaki eğitimin ardından Enderun'a alınmıştır. Kaptanı Deryalık, Rumeli Beylerbeyliği gibi çeşitli hizmetlerde bulunmuş ve 1565'te sadrazamlık makamına yükselmiştir. Kanuni Sultan Süleyman, Sultan II. Selim ve Sultan III. Murad'ın dönemlerinde on dört yıl süren sadrazamlığı boyunca devlet yönetiminde oldukça etkin bir rol oynamıştır. 1562'de Şehzade Selim'in kızı İsmihan Sultan ile evlendirilmiş ve mevkiisi daha da sağlamlaşmıştır. Veziriazamın III. Murad döneminde makamını muhafaza etmesi zorlaşmış ve aleyhindeki faaliyetler giderek artmıştır. 1579 yılında meczup bir derviş, Sokollu Mehmed Paşa'yı öldürmüştür. Sokollu Mehmed Paşa siyasi alanda olduğu gibi mimari alanda da son derece etkili olmuştur. Neredeyse hiçbir padişahın yaptırmadığı kadar fazla yapı yaptırarak Osmanlı Mimarlık Tarihinde çok önemli bir yere sahip olmuştur. 
Sokollu Mehmed Paşa'nın hayatına yer verilen bölümden sonra veziriazamın vakfiyelerinin analiz edildiği bölüme geçilmiştir. Paşa'nın vakıflarına ait üç adet vakfiye bulunmaktadır. Vakfiyeler, Vakıflar Genel Müdürlüğü Arşivi'nde, Süleymaniye Kütüphanesi'nde ve Fatih Millet Kütüphanesi'nde yer almaktadır. Bu tez kapsamında ana kaynak olarak VGMA'nde yer alan 1574 tarihli 572 nolu defterde kayıtlı olan vakfiyenin günümüz Türkçe'sine çevrilmiş hali kullanılmıştır. Bu vakfiyede, vakfedilen eserler bina tiplerine göre sınıflandırılmıştır. İlk olarak veziriazamın vakfettiği yedi cami listelenmiştir. Bunlar, Azapkapı, Lüleburgaz, Beçkerek, Zigetvar, Kayapınar, Bor ve Payas Camileri'dir. Camilerden sonra mescitler sıralanmıştır; Büyükçekmece Mescidi, Varna'ya bağlı Balçık kasabasındaki bedestenin ortasında yer alan mescit, Sokollu Mehmed Paşa'nın doğduğu yer olan Vişegrad Sokoloviç köyündeki mescit ve Halep'te yer alan dört adet mescit. Cami ve mescitler sıralandıktan sonra veziriazamın vakfettiği medreseler listelenmiştir. Bunlar; Kadırgalimanı ve Lüleburgaz Medreseleri'dir. Sokollu Mehmed Paşa'nın vakfiyesinde listelenen bir diğer yapı türü tekkelerdir. Veziriazamın vakfettiği tekkeler Kadırgalimanı'nda, Payas'ta ve Zigetvar'da yer almaktadır. Zikredilen bu yapılardan sonra Paşa'nın Eyüp'te yaptırdığı bir darülkurradan bahsedilmektedir. Vakfedilen bir diğer yapı türü ise sıbyan mektebidir. Sokollu Mehmed Paşa, Azapkapı'da, Lüleburgaz'da, Kayapınarı'nda, Sokoloviç'te, Beçkerek'te, Bor'da, Payas'ta ve Medine'de olmak üzere toplam sekiz adet sıbyan mektebi vakfetmiştir. Sıbyan mekteplerinden sonra vakfedilen imaretler sıralanmaktadır. Veziriazam Lüleburgaz'da, Vişegrad'da ve Payas'ta imaretler yaptırmıştır. Vakfedilen yapılar arasında bir de Mekke'de bulunan bir darüşşifa yer almaktadır. Sokollu Mehmed Paşa tüm bu zikredilen yapı türlerinin yanı sıra çeşitli yerlerde çeşmeler, suyolları ve sikayeler (su depoları) vakfetmiştir. Bunlar; Eyüp'te altı adet çeşme, Kadırgalimanı'nda bir çeşme, Azapkapı'da iki adet çeşme ve iki adet sikaye, Lüleburgaz'da suyolu, Belgrad'da suyolu ve çeşitli yerlerinde çeşmeler, Vişegrad'da suyolu ve çeşmeler, Sokoloviç'te bir çeşme ve suyolu, Payas'ta suyolu, Halep'te üç adet çeşme ve suyolu, Medine'de suyolu, çeşme ve sikaye şeklinde sıralanmaktadır. Ayrıca Lüleburgaz şehrinin imarına yaptırdığı külliyeyle büyük bir katkı sağlayan Sokollu Mehmed Paşa buraya büyük bir kaldırımlı yol yaptırmıştır. Vakfiyede son olarak Sokollu Mehmed Paşa'nın yaptırdığı köprülerden ve değirmenlerden bahsedilmektedir; Edirne yakınında Kızılağaç Yenicesi kazasında Tunca Irmağı üzerinde on iki gözlü, taş kemerli, kâgir bir köprü ve köprüye bitişik dört göz değirmen, Vişegrad'daki Drina Irmağı'nda kâgir on iki gözlü bir köprü. VGMA'ndeki 572 nolu bu vakfiyede, vakfedilen yapılardan tiplerine göre ayrılıp bahsedildikten sonra, yapılara gelir getirecek olan vakıflar sıralanmıştır. Sokollu Mehmed Paşa vakfettiği hizmet yapılarının gerekli ihtiyaçlarının karşılanması için gelir getiren çeşitli vakıflar vakfetmiştir.
Tezin ana konusu olan İstanbul'daki imar faaliyetlerine geçilmeden önce, Sokollu Mehmed Paşa'nın Osmanlı coğrafyasındaki şehirlerde vakfettiği yapılar genel hatlarıyla incelenmiştir. Osmanlı coğrafyasındaki birçok şehirde yaptırdığı yapıların mimarı otobiyografilerinden anlaşıldığı üzere Mimar Sinan'dır. Veziriazam Edirne'de 1568-69'da bir çifte hamam, 1569-70'te Lüleburgaz'da bir menzil külliyesi ve köprü, Kırklareli'nin Alpullu Kasabası'nda bir köprü, 1574-75'de Payas'ta bir menzil külliyesi, Havsa'da bir menzil külliyesi ve Bosna Vişegrad'da Drina Nehri üzerinde 1577-78'de bir köprü yaptırmıştır.
Sokollu Mehmed Paşa'nın İstanbul'da yer alan yapılarından ilk incelenen 1567 tarihli Büyükçekmece Mescidi'dir. Büyükçekmece Sokollu Mehmed Paşa Mescidi, Sultan Süleyman Kervansarayı ve Çeşmesi ile küçük bir menzil külliyesi oluşturmuştur. Veziriazam Büyükçekmece Mescidi'nden sonra Eyüp'te eşi İsmihan Sultan ile birlikte mimarbaşı Sinan'a bir külliye yaptırmıştır. Külliye 1568-69'a tarihlenen medrese, türbe, çeşme ve 1579'a tarihlenen bir darülkurradan meydana gelmektedir. Sokollu Mehmed Paşa'nın 1574 tarihli vakfiyesinde, iki adet sarayından bahsedilmektedir. Bu saraylardan biri Kadırgalimanı'nda, diğeri ise Ahırkapı'da (Atmeydanı'nda) yer almaktadır. Mimar Sinan'ın otobiyografilerinde ise veziriazam için dört adet saray inşa ettiği belirtilmiştir. Vakfiyede sayılan iki sarayın dışında Üsküdar ve Halkalı'da iki saray daha inşa edildiği zikredilmektedir. İsmihan Sultan ve Sokollu Mehmed Paşa çifti, Kadırgalimanı'nda saraylarının yanı başında Mimar Sinan'a ortak olarak 1571-72 tarihinde bir külliye yaptırmışlardır. Sokollu Mehmed Paşa camiyi İsmihan Sultan için yaptırmıştır. Medrese, tekke ve çeşme ise veziriazamın kendi adına yaptırdığı yapılardır. Veziriazamın İstanbul'da vakfettiği bir diğer yapı Azapkapı Camii'dir. 1577-78 yıllarında inşa edilen cami Mimar Sinan'ın eseridir. Sokollu Mehmed Paşa Azapkapı Camii'ne gelir getirmesi için bir de hamam vakfetmiştir. Yeşildirek Hamamı olarak anılan çifte hamam Azapkapı Camii'nin doğusundadır.  
Sokollu Mehmed Paşa'nın İstanbul'da vakfettiği yapıların yer seçimlerinde birbirinden farklı sebeplerin olduğunu söyleyebiliriz. Tarihi açıdan bir değerlendirme yapıldığında, Sokollu Mehmed Paşa'nın 1565 yılında sadrazamlık makamına yükseldikten sonra 1579'da öldürülene kadar on dört yıl boyunca mimari alandaki faaliyetlerini sürdürdüğü söylemek mümkündür. Sokollu Mehmed Paşa'nın İstanbul'da yaptırdığı yapıların mimarı tezkirelere dayandırılabildiği ölçüde, XVI. yüzyıl Osmanlı Klasik Mimarisi ile özdeşleşmiş Mimar Sinan'dır. Veziriazam Hassa Mimarbaşı Sinan'a birbirinden farklı türde birçok yapı (mescit, cami, medrese, tekke, hamam, darülkurra, türbe) yaptırmıştır. Yapılardan bölge halkının yanı sıra yolcular, kervanlar, tüccarlar, sefere çıkan ordu ve hacılar yararlanmaktadır. Sokollu Mehmed Paşa'nın vakfına ait yapıların hepsi kendisi ve eşi İsmihan Sultan tarafından yaptırılmıştır. Yapıların finansmanı büyük ölçüde Sokollu Mehmed Paşa'ya gelen hediyeler aracılığıyla sağlanmıştır.
Bu tez çalışması kapsamında, Sokollu Mehmed Paşa'nın vakfiyesi, vakfettiği yapılar ve bu yapılara gelir getiren vakıflar incelenmiştir. Siyasi alanda çok etkin olan Sokollu Mehmed Paşa'nın mimari alanda da oldukça etkili olduğu gözlemlenmiştir. İstanbul'daki yapıların ve kısaca değinilen İstanbul dışındaki yapıların mimarileri kronolojik olarak incelendiğinde, Sokollu Mehmed Paşa'nın bu eserlerin yer seçimlerinde ve yapılardan yararlananlar düşünülerek yapı türlerinde, dönemin ekonomik ve sosyal durumunu göz önüne alarak, bilinçli olarak tercihler yaptığı anlaşılmaktadır. Dönemin mimarı Sinan'ın da tasarımlarında Sokollu Mehmed Paşa'nın konumuna bağlı olarak özenli davrandığı ve bazı yenilikleri denediği görülmüştür.

Abstract:
The 16th century was a period in which the Ottoman Empire reached its peak in terms of both politics and architecture. Having served three sultans, Sokollu Mehmed Pasha was a grand vizier who has left a mark in this period with the architecture which he has dedicated to waqfs.  Although there are numerous studies examining each and every building that is a legacy of Sokollu Mehmed Pasha, a study including all the architecture does not exist. In the scope of this study, the grand vizier's structures built in the Ottoman geography are examined in general terms, while the structures built in Istanbul are specifically examined in detail. 
Born in 1505, in a village called Sokolovich in the city of Višegrad, Bosnia, Sokollu Mehmed Pasha's name prior to being brought to the Ottoman Empire as a janissary under the devshirme practice, was 'Bayo'. Having been recruited as a janissary under the devshirme practice when he was approximately 18 years of age, he was brought to Edirne Palace where his training commenced and was given the name Mehmed.  Following his training in Edirne Palace, he was admitted to Enderun (special school in the ottoman palace mostly for the janissaries recruited via devshirme practice). He was initially assigned to the small rooms and later appointed to serve in the private treasury of the sultan. He would continue to have his post changed five times in the following ten years. First given the duty of 'rikabdar', Mehmed was respectively appointed to duties of 'cuhadar', 'silahdar', 'cesnigirbasi' and 'buyuk kapicibasi'. In 1546, Sokollu Mehmed was granted the post of chief admiral. In 1549, he was appointed to the position of Beylerbeyi of Rumelia. The feud between Sehzade (prince) Selim and Sehzade Beyazid over the throne proved to be a milestone in Sokollu Mehmed Pasha's career. Taking the side of Sehzade Selim, Sokollu Mehmed Pasha played a significant role in Sehzade Selim's victory in the war between the princes at the Konya plains. He was appointed to his second vizier position in 1561. In 1562, he was wedded with Sehzade Selim's daughter Ismihan Sultan, hence further strengthening his position. In June 29, 1565, he was promoted to the position of grand vizier. He played a considerably influential role during his fourteen years of service as grand vizier, in three consecutive periods of ruling: Kanuni Sultan Suleyman (Suleiman the Magnificent), Sultan Selim II and Sultan Murad III. Brought to the position of grand vizier in 1565, Sokollu Mehmed Pasha prevented the dispersal of the army and ensured Selim II's enthronement by concealing the death of Kanuni Sultan Suleyman at Szigetvar. After Selim II ascended throne, he mostly refrained from interfering with the governing of the empire, leaving it in the hands of Sokollu Mehmed Pasha. When Selim II dies in 1574, Murad III takes over the throne and keeps Sokollu Mehmed Pasha as grand vizier.  It became difficult for the grand vizier to uphold his position during the Murad III period and operations against him gradually increased. In the year 1579, following an afternoon imperial divan (council), a deranged dervish approached Sokollu Mehmed Pasha as though he wanted to hand him an arzuhal (petition), and stabbed him in the heart with a dagger. The gravely wounded old grand vizier died soon after on October 12, 1579. Sokollu Mehmed Pasha not only had an impact in a political sense, but also had an incredible influence in the field of architecture. Having more buildings constructed than any sultan, he holds a place of significance in Ottoman Architectural History.
Following the section focusing on the life of Sokollu Mehmed Pasha, the grand vizier's waqfiyyas are examined. There are three waqfiyyas which belong to the Pasha's foundations. These waqfiyyas are found in the VGMA (Directorate General of Foundations Archives), Suleymaniye Library and Fatih Millet Library. The waqfiyya found in the VGMA, recorded in the Book numbered 572, dates back to 1574. Sokollu Mehmed Pasha and Ismihan Sultan's foundations are found in this waqfiyya. This waqfiyya, which dates back to 1574, found in Book 2104/323, page 442-78, was translated into modern Turkish and has been used as a main source for the dissertation. Two more waqfiyyas with no written dates have also been found including the foundations of Sokollu Mehmed Pasha and Ismihan Sultan. These are also found in the Suleymaniye Library and Fatih Millet Library. Following Sokollu Mehmed Pasha's death, his foundations continued under his son's name, Ibrahim Hanzade. The waqfiyya belonging to the Ibrahim Hanzade foundation, is dated 1818 and found in VGMA's Evkaf (foundation) 43, Book 2. This waqfiyya includes both Sokollu Mehmed Pasha and Ismihan Sultan's foundations. 
Sokollu Mehmed Pasha's waqfiyyas catalogue all the structures he had built and dedicated to waqfiyyas, each organized in an order specific to its nature.  Undated waqfiyyas found in the Suleymaniye and Fatih Millet Libraries, however, have classified the structures dedicated to waqfiyya in terms of the Ottoman geography, with Medina at the starting point, ending at Bechkerek in Erdel. The cities listed in the waqfiyyas are as follows: Medina, Halep (Aleppo), Payas, Bor, Istanbul, Buyukcekmece, Burgos (now known as Luleburgaz), Balcik, Sidrekapsi (Siderokausia), Sokolovik, Bechkerek. In a waqfiyya registered in the book numbered 572 at the VGMA, the works dedicated to wakf were classified according to the type of the buildings. The seven mosques that the grand vizier dedicated to wakf, were listed first. These are: Azapkapi, Luleburgaz, Beckerek, Szigetvar, Kayapinar, Bor and Payas Mosques. Following the mosques, another type of religious structure, the mescits (small mosque or prayer room) were listed: Buyukcekmece Mescit, the mescit found in the middle of the covered bazaar in a town called Balcik in Varna, the mescit in a village called Visegrad Sokolovik, which is Sokollu Mehmed Pasha's place of birth, and the four mescits in the city of Halep (Aleppo). Following the list of mosques and mescits, the madrassa's (Muslim theological schools) which the grand vizier dedicated to wakf, were listed.  These are: Kadirgalimani and Luleburgaz Madrasas. Another building type that has been listed on Sokollu Mehmed Pasha's waqfiyya is the tekke (monastery of dervishes). The tekkes that were dedicated to wakf by the grand vizier are found in Kadirgalimani, Payas and Szigetvar. Following the aforementioned buildings, there is mention of a darulkurra (house for readers of the Koran) that the Pasha had built, found in Eyup, Istanbul. Another building type was the sibyan mektebi (primary school). Sokollu Mehmed Pasha dedicated to wakfs a total of eight primary schools in Azapkapi, Luleburgaz, Kayapinari, Sokolovik, Beckerek, Bor, Payas, and Medina. Following the primary schools, the imarets (charity houses) that were dedicated are listed. The grand vizier had imarets built in Luleburgaz, Visegrad and Payas. A darushifa (health centre/hospital) in Mecca is amongst the buildings that were built and dedicated to wakf. Alongside all these different types of structures, Sokollu Mehmed Pasha also dedicated to wakfs water fountains, aqueducts and sikayes (water depots) in various locations. These are: a total of six water fountains in Eyup, one water fountain in Kadirgalimani, two water fountains and two water depots in Azapkapi, an aqueduct in Luleburgaz, an aqueduct and water fountains in various locations in Belgrade, an aqueduct and water fountains in Visegrad, a water fountain and an aqueduct in Sokolovik, an aqueduct in Payas, three water fountains and an aqueduct in Aleppo, and an aqueduct, a water fountain and water depot in Medina. Also, having made a significant contribution on the architectural structure of the city of Luleburgaz with the kulliye (Islamic-ottoman social complex) that he had built, Sokollu Mehmed Pasha had an expansive road with a pavement built here. The waqfiyya moves on to mention the bridges and mills that Sokollu Mehmed Pasha ordered the construction of: a twelve-arched, stone-arched, masonry bridge and adjacent to the bridge, a four-paddle water mill on the Tunca brook in the town of Yenicesi, Kizilagac, near Edirne, and a masonry eleven-arched masonry bridge on Drina brook in Visegrad. 
In this waqfiyya numbered 572 in VGMA, following the listing of these dedicated structures organized according to their type, the foundations that would ensure income for these structures were listed. Sokollu Mehmed Pasha also had a number of foundations built in order to ensure income to provide maintenance of these service buildings. These foundations which he put into service were divided into four categories, and each category was allocated a separate trustee. The cities which had income-generating foundations were: Istanbul, Kirklareli, Edirne, Belgrade, Varna, Balchik, Sidrekapsi (Kayapinari), Gallipoli, Bursa, Timisoara, Visegrad, Aleppo, Antakya, Hama, Homs, Shiraz, Selamiye, Tripoli, Damascus, Medina, Mecca, Bor, Niğde and Kayseri. The grand vizier also ordered the construction of public houses, covered bazaars, shops, chambers, menzils (buildings on commonly used routes), depots, furnaces, baths, mills, farms, fields and villages in the aforementioned cities to ensure funding. Information regarding the management of these foundations utilized for ensuring funds are also noted on the Pasha's waqfiyya. 
Before proceeding to the main subject of the dissertation, the architectural patronage in Istanbul, Sokollu Mehmed Pasha's architectural patronage in cities of the Ottoman geography have been examined in general terms.  It can be derived from the architectural autobiography of all the structures which were built in the many cities of the Ottoman geography, that their architect was Sinan the Architect. The grand vizier had a cifte hamam (double bath with female and male sections) built between the years 1568-69.  On an inscription found in the Menzil Kulliye in Luleburgaz, built in 1569-70, there is a description of how Sokollu Mehmed Pasha constructed Luleburgaz with mosques and charity buildings. The Luleburgaz Sokollu Mehmed Pasha Kulliye (Complex) carries the features of both a menzil and an inner-city complex, making it a combined architectural structure. Some contents of the Kulliye, such as the mosque, primary school, double bath and prayer dome still exist today. What is left of the bazaar, however, are merely half the number of shops which are now in bad condition. What remains of the caravansary are the attendant's quarters found by the entrance and some shafts and niches left from the stables. In place of the completely abolished imaret, tabhane (Ottoman guesthouse) and inner court is now a car park and a road. When having the Luleburgaz Menzil Kulliye built, Sokollu Mehmed Pasha also had a bridge built here. The bridge situated on the Luleburgaz Brook is constructed of four sharp arches. Another bridge built by the grand vizier is found in the Ergene River in the town of Alpullu, Kirklareli, and it is constructed of five sharp arches. Completed in the years 1574-75, the Payas Sokollu Mehmed Pasha Menzil Kulliye is a variant of the Luleburgaz and Havsa (Menzil Kulliye) Complexes that were built by the grand vizier, with its axial settlement style and prayer dome. As a menzil kulliye, it has a smaller mosque in comparison to the others; however, it does include a tekke, double bath, primary school, tabhane, caravansary, imaret, bazaar, prayer dome and water fountains. One of the most significant complexes (kulliye) on the Istanbul-Rumelia route is only a short distance from Edirne, at Havsa, where Sokollu Mehmed Pasha had a menzil kulliye built for his son Kasim Pasha. In addition to the architectural structures built in the Rumelia region in Buyukcekmece, Luleburgaz and Edirne; up until the third quarter of the 16th century, the grand vizier had a large-scale complex built in Havsa- a place which was seemingly not an important location for settlement- as well as bringing water here and literally becoming the new patron for this district. The construction of the complex, consisting of a mosque, madrassa, bazaar, guest house, imaret, double bath, tekke, bridge, water fountain and primary school, was completed in the years 1576-77, according to an inscription that has not survived to the present day. The mosque, the prayer dome of the bazaar, the bath, the furnace wall with niches, the mescid-tekke and corner water fountain are all constructions within the kulliye that have survived to the present day. Sokollu Mehmed Pasha ordered the construction of an eleven-arched bridge on the Drina River in Visegrad, Bosnia in 1577-78, where he was born.
Of the architectural structures in Istanbul that were built by Sokollu Mehmed Pasha, the first to be examined is the Buyukcekmece Mescid. Having no inscriptions, the year of construction has been estimated to be 1567 by taking into consideration the water fountain and bridge situated beside the mescid, both of which were ordered to be constructed by Kanuni Sultan Suleyman. The Buyukcekmece Sokollu Mehmed Pasha Mescid formed a small-scale menzil kulliye with the Kanuni Sultan Suleyman Caravansary and Water Fountain.  As Kanuni Sultan Suleyman was having the bridge, caravansary and water fountain constructed, Sokollu Mehmed Pasha was building the mescid, sixteen shops, two furnaces, one house and two couple chambers, side by side but each with their own courts. The Architect of the mescit is Sinan. 
After the Buyukcekmece Mescid, the grand vizier, together with his wife Ismihan Sultan, has chief architect Sinan build a kulliye in Eyup. The Kulliye comprises a madrassa, mausoleum, water fountain and a darulkurra.  The mausoleum, madrassa and water fountain were built in 1568-69, and the darulkurra in 1579. Next to the mausoleum which Sokollu Mehmed Pasha and Ismihan Sultan had built for their children who died before them, Ismihan Sultan had a madrassa built through the order of Sokollu Mehmed Pasha. The darulkurra was built eleven years later then the madrassa and mausoleum, the year Sokollu Mehmed Pasha was killed. Apart from the kulliye, Sokollu Mehmed Pasha had six water fountains built in Eyup. Only three of these water fountains have survived to this present day. 
In Sokollu Mehmed Pasha's waqfiyya dated 1574, two palaces are mentioned. One of these palaces is in Kadirgalimani and the other is in Ahirkapi (Atmeydani). In Sinan the Architect's autobiographies, it is stated that he built four palaces for the grand vizier. Apart from the two palaces stated in the waqfiyya, there is mention of two other palaces having been constructed in Uskudar and Halkali. 
Together as a couple, Ismihan Sultan and Sokollu Mehmed Pasha had a kulliye built next to their palace in Kadirgalimani by Sinan the Architect. Sokollu Mehmed Pasha had the mosque built for Ismihan Sultan. The madrassa, tekke and water fountain were built in the grand vizier's own name. The kulliye inscriptions state the completion date of the construction to be 1571-72. Sokollu Mehmed Pasha Mosque was only 500 meters away from Kadirgalimani Palace, which does not exist today. Sokollu Mehmed Pasha Mosque is a structure that can be considered as a family mescid, judging by the distance of its location from the palace (similar to the Christian family chapel tradition).
Another building that the grand vizier dedicated to wakf in Istanbul is the Azapkapi Mosque. Built in 1577-78, the mosque is the work of Sinan the Architect. In the effort to dissolve the great loss experienced by the Ottoman fleet at Inebahti (Lepanto) (1571), Sokollu Mehmed Pasha expanded the Halic Shipyard in the Azapkapi-Kasimpasa district, and must have commenced the construction of this mosque during that time. The grand vizier also had a water fountain built on the north side of the mosque's minaret. Sokollu Mehmed Pasha ordered the construction of a bath which would bring funds for the Azapkapi Mosque. The bath, known as the Yesildirek Hamam, is a double bath situated on the east of the mosque.  
The choice of location for each architectural structure that was built by Sokollu Mehmed Pasha can all be concluded to have different reasonings behind them. We can derive the conclusion that Buyukcekmece was chosen to constitute a safe and secure area, and that Eyup was chosen because his children's mausoleums were located here. The choice of Kadirgalimani can be explained with the fact that their palace was located here. We also know that there was previously a church which stood where the mosque was built in Kadirgalimani. The reasoning behind the construction of a mosque in place of a church might lie in the mentality of conquering an area. The location of the Azapkapi Mosque was chosen to bring a sense of importance to the shipyard, and to provide for the religious needs of the Muslim community who had recently settled in Galata.
When evaluated in an historical sense, when Sokollu Mehmed Pasha was promoted to the position of grand vizier in 1565, he continued his services in the field of architecture for fourteen years up until he was killed in 1579. Most of the Pasha's buildings in Istanbul were constructed in the first seven years of his grand viziership.  The first building Sokollu Mehmed Pasha had constructed as a grand vizier was the Buyukcekmece Mescid. In Eyup, in 1568, the kulliye which consisted of the mausoleum for his children, the madrassa and water fountain, was the second architectural complex he had built. His next architectural feat is the Kadirgalimani Kulliye in 1571. The grand vizier carried out less construction projects in Istanbul during the last seven years of his post in comparison to the first seven. During the last two years before he was killed, the structures he ordered to be constructed were the Azapkapi Mosque and the darulkurra in Eyup. 
The architect of the structures in Istanbul that were ordered to be constructed by Sokollu Mehmed Pasha is, to the extent attributable to the collection of biographies, Sinan the Architect, who became an item for the 16th century Classic Ottoman Architecture.  The grand vizier had Chief Architect Sinan built many different structures (mescits, mosques, madrassas, tekkes, baths, darulkurras, mausoleums). The Buyukcekmece Mescid is one of the eight mescids that Sinan the Architect built, which still exists today, partially preserving its distinctive architectural features. The other mescids of this period show similarities.  When examining the mausoleum in Eyup, it is noted that it can be classified as an octagon-planned mausoleum and is situated in the kulliye. When examined as a lay-out drawing, it presents similarities with another mausoleum built by Sinan the Architect- the Haseki Hurrem Sultan Mausoleum. Again, as part of the Eyup kulliye, the madrassa is connected with the mausoleum with an arcade. In Zal Mahmud Pasha's kulliye, again located in Eyup and designed by Sinan, the mausoleum and madrassa are side by side.  The darulkurra, another structure within the Eyup Sokollu Mehmed Pasha Kulliye, presents similarities with the planning and ceiling systems of the Husrev Kethuda Darukkurra built by Sinan the Architect. The Kadirgalimani Sokollu Mehmed Pasha Mosque and madrassa twosome are generally compared to Kara Ahmed Pasha's mosque and madrassa in Topkapi. It is possible to compare the tekke in Kadirgalimani Kulliye with the tekke found in Nurbanu Sultan's Atik Valide Sultan Kulliye located in Uskudar. Azapkapi Mosque is a two-storey mosque just like Rustem Pasha Mosque which is located in Tahtakale, both of which do not have a kulliye. Rustem Pasha and Azapkapi Mosques present similarities in terms of their planning. The heating plan in the men's section of the Yesildirek Hamam (Bath) is the same as those applied in the Suleymaniye and Cemberlitas Valide Sultan Hamams.
When examining the architectural patronage of Sokollu Mehmed Pasha in Istanbul, we can see that they are different types of structures (mescids, mosques, madrassas, tekkes, baths, darulkurras, mausoleums). In addition to the local residents, travellers, caravans, merchants, troops heading off to a military expedition and hadjis (pilgrims) also took advantage of these structures. All the architectural structures owned by the Sokollu Mehmed Pasha foundation were constructed by himself and his wife Ismihan Sultan. The financing was mostly provided with the gifts presented to Sokollu Mehmed Pasha.
It is observed that besides having been a very influential figure in the political platform, Sokollu Mehmed Pasha was also very influential in the field of architecture. When the architectural structures in Istanbul, and the architectural structures outside of Istanbul which are briefly mentioned, are chronologically examined, it is noted that Sokollu Mehmed Pasha has made informed choices with respect to the choice of location of these architectural works, and their type of structure in view of those benefitting from these structures, by taking into consideration the economic and social conditions of the era. It is further noted that Sinan the Architect, the architect of the era, worked diligently in his designs due to the position of Sokollu Mehmed Pasha, and also realized some innovative ideas.