MOSQUE OF EYÜP SULTAN (EYÜP SULTAN CAMII)

Holy places generally have a well-dosed mixture of mysticism and supernaturalism. While Sultan Mehmed II, the Conqueror (Fatih), savours the fall of Constantinople, his tutor sees in his dreams the location of a tomb where Abu Ayub al-Ansari, one of the Prophet Mohammed's faithful companions and standard bearers, would be buried. He died during the first siege of Constantinople in 670 and was buried by his army not far from the land walls, in a place that was gradually falling into oblivion. As a result, the Eyüp Mosque is one of the most important holy places in Islam. The Conqueror is therefore doubly rewarded: a mythical city with his record of achievements and a divine sign that solidifies the foundations of his reign! The complex has undergone transformations over the years. It consists of a mosque, a mausoleum, a medersa, a refectory hospice and a double hammam. The current mosque was built between 1798 and 1800, at the time of Selim III. The rectangular mihrab (niche), which projects outwards, is covered with a half dome. The courtyard of the mosque is bordered by a peristyle overhung by thirteen domes. This courtyard, with its plane trees where storks come to make their nests and the hundreds of pigeons that fly around, is one of the backdrops of the city's typical scenography. The chambers of the medersa are located on the side parts of the courtyard. The refectory building is arranged around two spaces also covered with domes. The mausoleum of Eyüp Sultan is an octagonal stone monument, surmounted by a dome and a brass gate allows pilgrims to see the gold inlaid shrine that contains one of Islam's relics: a footprint of the prophet Mohammed's foot found in the seraglio's treasure of Topkapı The blue and white ceramic tiles and stained glass windows in the mausoleum are from the 16th century. A calligraphic frieze circles the inner drum of the monument. In its centre, there is a large chandelier and a blue carpet. Other tombstones or sarcophagi of historical value are located in the cemetery. At the same time, great viziers and ordinary citizens of the Ottoman Empire wished to be buried alongside the saint, giving birth to the great cemetery of Eyüp. The first mosque built after the Ottoman conquest of the city, it is a popular and revered place of pilgrimage.