Imitation in Mosque Architecture: Symbolic Significance of Mosque Building in Turkey
This thesis explores the reasons why the same mosque model has been imitated for centuries in Turkey and the lack of an innovative approach in mosque architecture. The political and cultural reasons for this process of architectural imitation are investigated by examining the classical mosques designed in the 16th century by Mimar Sinan whose work set a model that is still followed today. The values symbolised by the Ottoman period are a major factor in the continuing tendency towards the design of mosques are explored through the study of buildings whose construction led to political conflict in Turkey for years.
