Professor Osman Özsoy, the Kayseri Provincial Representative of the Foundation for the Protection and Promotion of the Environment and Cultural Heritage (ÇEKÜL), has brought attention to a remarkable achievement of Mimar Sinan, the legendary Ottoman architect from Kayseri. According to Özsoy's research, Sinan has the most works listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, with 30 of his structures spread across four countries. This recognition highlights Sinan's extraordinary contribution to global architecture and his lasting influence across multiple nations.
Through his research, professor Özsoy discovered that Mimar Sinan, who left numerous works in eight countries, has 30 structures located in Syria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Palestine and Türkiye included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Highlighting Sinan's prominence, Özsoy stated, "When examining architects throughout world history and the distribution of their works across UNESCO sites and countries, only five architects stand out: Mimar Sinan, Andrea Palladio, Le Corbusier, Frank Lloyd Wright and Antoni Gaudi. Among them, Mimar Sinan leads with 30 registered works in UNESCO, many of which are complexes. While there might be hundreds of works under these complexes, we’ve considered them as single entities."
Özsoy emphasized the importance of UNESCO's criteria, noting that acceptance into the permanent list requires approval from independent countries recognized by the United Nations.
He explained that while local appreciation of a work, individual or heritage is valuable, it might not align with UNESCO's standards. Therefore, considering UNESCO's criteria is crucial. As of 1985, Türkiye had only three sites – Historic Areas of Istanbul, Divriği Great Mosque and Hospital and the Göreme National Park and the Rock Sites of Cappadocia – added to the permanent list. Currently, Türkiye boasts 21 sites on the permanent list and over 70 on the tentative list, including Kültepe and Koramaz Valley in Kayseri.
Mimar Sinan's works are present in six UNESCO sites across four countries that were once part of the Ottoman Empire. Most of these structures remain intact. In contrast, other renowned architects typically have 16 to 17 works spread across three or four UNESCO sites and countries.
Given the conditions of his time, Andrea Palladio is a direct comparison to Mimar Sinan; however, Palladio's works are confined to specific regions in Italy. This analysis underscores Mimar Sinan's unique status as a world-class architect with a significant presence on the UNESCO list.
Mimar Sinan, also known as Koca Sinan, was an Ottoman architect born on April 15, 1490, in the village of Ağırnas in Kayseri. He passed away on April 17, 1588. In 1511, during the reign of Yavuz Sultan Selim, he came to Istanbul as a devshirme (a system where Christian boys were recruited by the Ottoman government).
Throughout his illustrious career, Mimar Sinan designed and constructed an impressive array of structures, including 81 mosques, 51 small mosques (mescit), 55 madrasas, 26 Quranic schools (darül-kurra), 17 tombs, 17 public kitchens (imaret), three hospitals (darüşşifa), five aqueducts, eight bridges, 20 caravanserais, 36 palaces, eight cellars and 48 baths, totaling 375 works.
