It was the first time that Sinan was this far from the land where he was born and raised. There was a peace of mind in knowing that good things were about to happen. He was on his way. To the fabulous and holy city where he grew up with its stories; towards Istanbul...
Sinan entered Istanbul on a hot summer day that almost left people breathless.
Together with hundreds of devshirme boys brought from Rumeli and Anatolia; when he came to Sultanahmet Square, which hosted all kinds of gatherings from prince circumcisions to janissary revolts; he met the beautiful Hagia Sophia for the first time. He felt a chill, like the refreshing coolness of a cool sea breeze. Inside, a river that had stood still in its bed until that day began to rush. Sinan could not take his eyes off Hagia Sophia. If they let go, it was as if he would take it all in one breath. He was staring at every inch, every stone, every column for minutes; He was startled by the voice of the Janissary Aghas, who ordered the "Vilayet-i Karaman and Bilad-ı Greek" convoy to be ready for the health check.
Children who would become devshirme would first undergo a health check when they arrived in Istanbul. Later, some of them were assigned as "içoğlan", others were rented to Turkish craftsmen in exchange for two gold coins to perform their "provincial services". This practice was initiated by Fatih Sultan Mehmet, who made Constantinople his holy home. The training of the devshirme selected for provincial service lasted for three years. In this process, they learned Turkish, Turkish traditions, Islamic knowledge and military service. Then they took an exam, and if they were successful in this exam, they were taken to the "Janissary Corps" to fulfill their military duties.
Although Sinan was able to turn his eyes away from Hagia Sophia, he could not stop his mind from thinking about her. This time, he was startled by the sound of the call to prayer (azan) rising from Hagia Sophia. His inside was the inside of Hagia Sophia... He could hear the call to prayer as if he were inside Hagia Sophia. He was already starting to gather (devshirme) himself…
He decided to show himself. During the auditions, he wanted to showcase all of his architectural talents. Thus, he would be selected for the provincial service, and he would be able to go to a good master and perhaps have the opportunity to see his first love, Hagia Sophia. Sinan waited throughout the call to the prayer (azan). Then, with the love awakened in him, he opened the saddlebag with drawings of the houses, barns and waterways that he brought with him when he left his hometown that he had built there. He took out a blank piece of paper and began to scribble something. Before switching to the alphabet, he looked like an avid student drawing pages and pages of lines. Young Sinan was approaching, line by line, to Sinan the Architect…