In 1538, once again under the assignment of Grand Vizier Lütfi Pasha, Sinan won the admiration of Sultan Suleiman by constructing a bridge over the Prut River in 13 days during the Moldova campaign. As a reward, he was appointed as the Chief Royal Architect. After this event, Sinan left the Janissary Corps and devoted himself to architecture, where he would create magnificent works.
In his approximately 50-year-long journey as the Chief Royal Architect, Mimar Sinan designed and constructed hundreds of buildings of various sizes and also undertook the restoration of certain structures.
Throughout his life, Sinan left his mark on more than 350 works, including 82 mosques, 52 small mosques, 55 theological schools, 7 Quranic schools, 20 tombs , 17 soup kitchens, 3 hospitals , 6 aqueducts, 10 bridges, 20 caravanserais , 36 palaces, 8 cellars, and 48 bathhouses.
Mimar Sinan, leaving his mark on numerous works in many cities of the empire, defined the stages of his architectural career with three major complexes.
He referred to Şehzade Mosque, completed in 1548, as his "apprenticeship work," Süleymaniye Mosque, completed in 1557, as his "journeyman work," and Selimiye Mosque, opened for worship in 1575, as his "masterpiece."
