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Mimar Sinan ("Sinan
the Architect," 1489-1588) was the
greatest architect in the history of
the Ottoman
Empire,
and among the greatest in the world.
His graceful, harmonious mosques and
mosque complexes (külliye),
bridges and caravanserais embellished
the empire
of his imperial
patron, Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent,
and influenced Turkish and world architecture
to the present day.
Author Ann Pierpont fell
in love with Sinan's work, and was
amazed to find
no walking
guide to help architecture-lovers find
and appreciate Sinan's buildings extant
in Turkey She solved that problem beautifully.
Her approach was to write "Sinan's
Diary," her concept of what the
great artist would have written had
he turned his pen to autobiography.
It's a dangerous approach:
so much could go wrong, and it would
be so easy to do
it badly.
But Pierpont succeeds brilliantly:
the personal approach works perfectly
for this
sort of book. We know it's not Sinan
we're reading, but it's easy to suspend
that knowledge and enjoy Pierpont's
first-person narrative, which is sensitive
to the man and his art.
The book itself is beautiful and well-made,
with useful photos, illustrations and
plans, and even framed blank spaces
into which readers/walkers can put
their own notes or photos after visiting
Sinan's buildings.
Most people may choose not to visit
all of Sinan's great buildings, large
and small, described in Sinan
Diaryz, but
no matter. The book is worth having
even if you plan to visit just a few.
The background information, walking
directions, building descriptions and
illustrations of all
the other buildings will help any art
lover to appreciate the wonder of Sinan's
work.
Sinan Diaryz: A Walking Tour
of Mimar Sinan's Monuments
by
Ann Pierpont
Istanbul: Çitlembik Publications,
2007
ISBN 9944-424-08-0, 216 pages, YTL40
USA & Canada: Nettleberry
LLC, US$44.95
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