Sokollu Mehmet Paşa Camii

Lonely Planet review

Sinan designed this mosque in 1571, at the height of his architectural career. Though named after the grand vizier of the time, it was really sponsored by his wife Esmahan, daughter of Sultan Selim II. Besides its architectural harmony, typical of Sinan's greatest works, the mosque is unusual because the medrese is not a separate building but actually part of the mosque structure, built around the forecourt.

If the mosque isn't open, wait for the guardian to appear; he may offer photos for sale and will certainly appreciate a tip. When you enter, notice the harmonious form, the coloured marble and the spectacular İznik tiles - some of the best ever made. The stained glass is also particularly fine. The mosque contains four fragments from the sacred Black Stone in the Kaaba at Mecca: one above the entrance framed in gold, two in the mimber and one in the mihrab. Interestingly, the marble pillars by the mihrab revolve if the foundations have been disturbed by an earthquake - an ingenious early warning device - though apparently they didn't move during the earthquake of 1999 as one was 'out of order'!