Eyüp Sultan Mosque

At the upper end of the Golden Horn, in the district that bears his name, stands the Eyüp Sultan Mosque – the holiest place of worship in Istanbul for Muslims. It rises beside the tomb of Abu Ayyub al-Ansari, known in Turkish as Eyüp Sultan, the standard-bearer and companion of the Prophet Muhammad. Pilgrims from all over Turkey and the Islamic world come here to pray, and the square in front of the mosque is full of life, especially on Fridays and religious holidays.

History

Abu Ayyub al-Ansari is believed to have died near the walls of Constantinople during the first Arab siege of the city in the 670s, and to have been buried outside the walls. After the Ottoman conquest of 1453, his grave was identified, according to tradition by Akşemseddin, the spiritual teacher of Sultan Mehmed II. In 1458 the sultan built a tomb, a mosque and a complex around it – the first great Ottoman mosque in the city.

For centuries Eyüp was the place where a new sultan was girded with the Sword of Osman, a ceremony that served as the Ottoman coronation. The sultan travelled along the Golden Horn to Eyüp, received the sword here and returned to the palace in a grand procession. By the late 18th century the original mosque was in ruins, and Sultan Selim III had it rebuilt between 1798 and 1800 in the Ottoman Baroque style, keeping the earlier minarets. Over the centuries the area around the shrine filled with tombs, fountains and the graves of statesmen, scholars and ordinary people who wished to be buried close to the saint.

What to See

The mosque and the tomb face each other across an inner courtyard shaded by an ancient plane tree, where the sword-girding ceremony once took place. The tomb is the spiritual heart of the complex: its walls are covered with Iznik tiles from different periods, and the sarcophagus is enclosed by an ornate silver screen.

• Tomb of Eyüp Sultan: richly tiled, with a gilded silver grille and constant visitors in prayer.
• The prayer hall: a bright Ottoman Baroque interior with a single central dome.
• The inner courtyard: the great plane tree and the platform of the sword-girding ceremony.
• Eyüp cemetery: carved Ottoman gravestones climbing the hill towards the Golden Horn.
• Pierre Loti Hill: a famous café terrace above the cemetery with views over the Golden Horn.

Visitor Tips

Entrance is free. As this is a deeply religious site, dress modestly: long trousers or skirts, covered shoulders, and a headscarf for women. Remove your shoes before entering the mosque and the tomb, keep your voice low and avoid photographing people at prayer. Visit outside prayer times; Friday midday and religious holidays are very crowded. Allow time to wander the old streets and the cemetery, then take the cable car or walk up to Pierre Loti Hill for tea and the view. Eyüp combines naturally with the Golden Horn, the Chora (Kariye) Mosque and Balat on a guided Istanbul tour.