The Sehzade (meaning "Crowned Prince"), Külliyesi, Atatürk Bulvari, just south of the aqueduct (no phone; free admission; open dawn-dusk), was the first sultanic mosque and one of Sinan's early masterpieces that earned him the title of master builder, or mimar. Commissioned by Süleyman in 1543, the mosque and complex was dedicated to his favorite son, Prince Mehmet, who died of smallpox at age 21. The sarcophagus was specially crafted out of wood lattice with ivory inlay -- there is no other example like it in the empire -- while the tomb is decorated with tiles, stained glass, and domes covered in arabesques. The tomb and complex are built on the site that marks the exact center of Old Istanbul, a fact that probably influenced the architect's decision to create an effect of perfect symmetry. From the outside, the roof looks like a graceful cascade of domes while the four central semi-domes serve to buttress and support the load of the central dome. For many years the Sehzade remained the largest building in Istanbul, but even before the mosque was completed, Süleyman ordered the construction of another grander mosque as a monument to his reign.
