Mihrimah Sultan Mosque, Edirnekapı

Perched on the sixth hill beside the old land walls, this mosque is another of Mimar Sinan's works for Mihrimah Sultan, likely completed in the late 1560s. It is celebrated for its exceptionally luminous prayer hall, whose walls are pierced by rows of windows that make the single dome appear to float on light. Sited at the highest point of the historic peninsula, its slender minaret is visible from across the city. Repeated earthquake damage and restoration have not dulled its airy, almost weightless quality.