Eyüp Sultan Mosque

The mosque at Eyüp stands over the tomb of Abu Ayyub al-Ansari, a companion of the Prophet who by tradition died during an Arab siege of Constantinople in the 670s; the grave was identified in 1453 and Mehmed II built the first mosque here, making it the most significant site of pilgrimage in the city. The present mosque is largely a late-eighteenth-century rebuilding, in pale stone with a courtyard of plane trees and storks' nests, but the point of a visit is the türbe across the courtyard, where a continuous line of visitors passes the tomb behind its silver grille. The atmosphere is devotional rather than touristic, particularly on Fridays and during Ramadan, and the district around it is dense with Ottoman tombs, dervish lodges and one of the great cemeteries of Istanbul climbing the hill behind, up to the Pierre Loti café and its view down the Golden Horn.

What you actually see

• The tomb - the türbe of Abu Ayyub behind its grille.
• The courtyard - plane trees and the ablution fountain.
• The tomb district - Ottoman türbes along the streets.
• The hill cemetery - the graveyard climbing toward Pierre Loti.

When to go

April to June and September to October. Weekday mornings for the quietest visit; Fridays, Ramadan and religious holidays bring very large crowds.

Honest expectations

This is an active pilgrimage site first - dress conservatively, expect queues at the tomb, and do not photograph people praying. Fridays and Ramadan are extremely busy.

Nearby

Pierre Loti hill and its cable car are directly above; the Golden Horn ferries run back down to Eminönü.