Eyup Sultan Mosque

Built In 1458 Over The Tomb Of Abu Ayyub Al Ansari, The Prophet'S Standard Bearer; The Holiest Islamic Site In Istanbul And A Major Pilgrimage Destination · Istanbul, Istanbul

At the head of the Golden Horn, outside the Byzantine walls, is the holiest Islamic site in Istanbul. Abu Ayyub al-Ansari was the Prophet's standard-bearer and died during an Arab siege of Constantinople in the 670s; his grave was said to have been rediscovered at the conquest in 1453, and Mehmed II built a mosque over it five years later. Ottoman sultans came here to be girded with the sword of Osman at their accession, and ordinary people have come ever since - to pray at the tomb, to bring boys in white satin suits before circumcision, to be buried on the hill above in a cemetery that climbs for a kilometre. The mosque you see is a 1800 rebuilding. Visitors are welcome and the atmosphere is unlike Sultanahmet's: this is a place of pilgrimage with sightseers in it, rather than the other way round, and dressing and behaving accordingly matters more here than at anywhere else in the city.

Merkez Mahallesi, Camii Kebir Sokak, Eyupsultan, Istanbul, Istanbul, Turkiye

Open daily and free. The tomb of Abu Ayyub, which is the focus, keeps its own hours and has a separate queue. Tourist visiting pauses around the five daily prayers and for much longer at Friday midday, when the whole quarter fills. Ramadan, religious holidays and the circumcision season bring very large crowds. The Pierre Loti cable car up the hill keeps daytime hours.

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