Mathematical Trace of Dimensional Hierarchy in the World Heritage Selimiye Mosque

ABSTRACT The Selimiye Mosque and its social complex, which was accepted into the World Heritage List on June, 29 2011, carry cultural, locational and structural characteristics that are important for the world of architecture. The Selimiye Mosque reflects political power, abundance of the Ottoman Empire and the era, in which it was built, as well as genius approach of its designer, which pushes the limits of construction, with its religious and social meanings. The purpose of this study is to convert traces of aesthetic achievement created by dimensional hierarchy, which was designed by Architect Sinan on structural configuration of a long-span construction like the Selimiye Mosque, into mathematical data. First of all, method and limitations are described in this study and contributions of study results to scientific environment are stated. Then, admission process of the Selimiye Mosque through the concept of the World Heritage is touched upon and its architectural properties are addressed. Hierarchy, which were determined on longitudinal section of the mosque, were measured in order to query mathematical trace of dimensional hierarchy and the data obtained were analyzed via drawn function graph. Thus, functions regarding hierarchy of outer shell are detected and the formula of dimensional hierarchy is presented to scientific environment. Consequentially, it was determined that dimensional hierarchy, which was configured by Architect Sinan in the Selimiye Mosque and supports immense internal space, has a curvilinear (polynomial) character. Therefore, it was observed that a structurally balanced and an aesthetic transition formed for reaching from human scale to monumental building in the mosque’s outer structural configuration.