Eyüp Sultan Mosque

The Eyüp Sultan Mosque is the uncontested star of the Eyüp neighborhood. The mosque's interior houses the tomb of Abu Ayyub al-Ansari, an important figure in Muslim history. In fact, the mosque is considered to be the fourth most important in the world after those of Mecca, Medina, and Jerusalem. This explains why it's almost always full of people. The current mosque was built by Sultan Selim III in 1800 after the previous 15th-century mosque was destroyed. It's common to see families visiting with their recently-circumcised children, as is a tradition on that particular day.

The courtyard of the mosque is very beautiful and is where the cemetery which snakes over the hillside begins.

The Eyüp Sultan Mosque is one of the most sacred places in Turkey and it's also the burial place of Abu Ayyub al-Ansari, standard-bearer of the prophet Mohammed. The interior and exterior walls are adorned with beautiful Iznik tiles (16th-19th centuries). When I went, it was very busy as was one of the few places in Istanbul where I had to cover my head. The courtyard is lovely and full of gigantic banana trees.