Eyup Sultan Mosque

About Eyup Sultan Mosque

Eyup Sultan Mosque sits just outside the old city walls at the top of the Golden Horn, and it's one of the most important religious sites in Istanbul, and in Turkiye more widely. It marks the burial place of Abu Ayyub al-Ansari, a companion of the Prophet Muhammad who, according to tradition, died during the Arab siege of Constantinople in the 7th century. When the Ottomans took the city in 1453, his tomb was identified nearby, and Sultan Mehmed II had a mosque built on the spot. That makes it the first mosque the Ottomans constructed in Istanbul, and the connection to a companion of the Prophet gives it a standing that goes well beyond its architecture.

The complex you see today is largely a rebuild from around 1800, after the original was damaged by earthquakes, so the mosque itself is a graceful late-Ottoman structure in pale stone. For most visitors the real focus is the tomb, or turbe, of Abu Ayyub al-Ansari, set across the courtyard and lined with Iznik tiles. Pilgrims come here year-round, and the queue to enter the tomb can be long, especially on Fridays, at religious holidays, and during Ramadan. The courtyard, with its old plane trees and flocks of pigeons, is a working devotional space rather than a tourist showpiece, and it's worth spending a little time there to take in the atmosphere.

This is an active mosque, so plan around prayer times and dress modestly: shoulders and knees covered for everyone, and a headscarf for women, with shoes removed before entering the prayer hall. Entry is free. Uphill from the mosque is the Pierre Loti hill, reached on foot or by a short cable car, with a well-known cafe and a wide view back down the Golden Horn over the surrounding cemeteries. The neighborhood is a little way from Sultanahmet, but it pairs naturally with a Golden Horn walk or ferry trip.