Süleyman I, after the untimely death of his favorite son Mehmed in 1543 at Manisa while returning from a successful siege in Hungary, buried him in a temporary grave in Istanbul. Süleyman commissioned the architect Sinan to erect a mosque and mausoleum complex on this site. Evliya Çelebi described the site of the temporary grave as a tree-lined green area and the gardens surrounding the mausoleum as a vineyard akin to a paradise garden.
Source: Travel Account, 17th century
Nurhan Atasoy, Seyit Ali Kahraman
Resources:
Evliya Çelebi Seyahatnâmesi: Topkapı Sarayı Bağdat 304 Yazmasının transkripsiyonu (Open in Zotero)
Originally published at: Atasoy, Nurhan, and Seyit Ali Kahraman “Mausoleum of Mehmed at Şehzâde Mosque.” Middle East Gardens Traditions. Dumbarton Oaks, December 1, 2014. https://www.doaks.org/resources/middle-east-garden-traditions/catalogue/C98. Archived at: https://perma.cc/5UDZ-R9BM.