The Eyüp Sultan Mosque () is a
mosque
A mosque ( ), also called a masjid ( ), is a place of worship for Muslims. The term usually refers to a covered building, but can be any place where Salah, Islamic prayers are performed; such as an outdoor courtyard.
Originally, mosques were si ...
in
Eyüp district of
Istanbul
Istanbul is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, constituting the country's economic, cultural, and historical heart. With Demographics of Istanbul, a population over , it is home to 18% of the Demographics ...
,
Turkey
Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...
. The mosque complex includes a mausoleum marking the spot where
Ebu Eyüp el-Ansari (Abu Ayyub al-Ansari), the standard-bearer and companion of the prophet
Muhammad
Muhammad (8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious and political leader and the founder of Islam. Muhammad in Islam, According to Islam, he was a prophet who was divinely inspired to preach and confirm the tawhid, monotheistic teachings of A ...
, is said to have been buried. On a much older site, the present building dates from the beginning of the 19th century.
Because of its particular sanctity, the mosque played a role in the coronation ceremony for new Ottoman Sultans, who came here - processing along the grand Cülus Yolu (Accession Way) - to be girded with the
Sword of Osman at the start of their reigns. Today it remains a popular pilgrimage destination.
History
The mosque is named after
Abu Ayyub al-Ansari
Abu Ayyub al-Ansari (, , died c. 674) — born Khalid ibn Zayd ibn Kulayb ibn Tha'laba () in Yathrib — was from the tribe of Banu Najjar, and a close companion (Arabic: الصحابه, ''sahaba'') and the standard-bearer of the Prophets and mes ...
(Eyüp Sultan in
Turkish), a
companion and trusted friend of
Muhammad
Muhammad (8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious and political leader and the founder of Islam. Muhammad in Islam, According to Islam, he was a prophet who was divinely inspired to preach and confirm the tawhid, monotheistic teachings of A ...
, who is believed to have died here during the
first Arab siege of Constantinople
First most commonly refers to:
* First, the ordinal form of the number 1
First or 1st may also refer to:
Acronyms
* Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty-Centimeters, an astronomical survey carried out by the Very Large Array
* Far Infrared a ...
in the 670s.
A mosque complex (''
külliye
A külliye () is a complex of buildings associated with Turkish architecture centered on a mosque and managed within a single institution, often based on a waqf (charitable foundation) and composed of a madrasa, a Dar al-Shifa (clinic), kitchens ...
'') was constructed on the site in 1458 by the
Ottoman sultan
Mehmed II
Mehmed II (; , ; 30 March 14323 May 1481), commonly known as Mehmed the Conqueror (; ), was twice the sultan of the Ottoman Empire from August 1444 to September 1446 and then later from February 1451 to May 1481.
In Mehmed II's first reign, ...
only five years after the
conquest of Constantinople in 1453. Mehmed II was reportedly motivated to build the mosque after his teacher,
Akşemseddin, had a dream about building a commemorative mosque at the burial place of al-Ayyub al-Ansari. When al-Ansari's tomb was found in 1458 the mosque was built next to it.
In the early 18th century, Sultan
Ahmed III
Ahmed III (, ''Aḥmed-i sālis''; was sultan of the Ottoman Empire and a son of sultan Mehmed IV (r. 1648–1687). His mother was Gülnuş Sultan, originally named Evmania Voria, who was an ethnic Greek. He was born at Hacıoğlu Pazarcık, ...
rebuilt the two minarets of the mosque in their current form. By the end of the 18th century the mosque was in a ruinous state, perhaps as a result of earthquake damage, and in 1798 sultan
Selim III
Selim III (; ; was the sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1789 to 1807. Regarded as an enlightened ruler, he was eventually deposed and imprisoned by the Janissaries, who placed his cousin Mustafa on the throne as Mustafa IV (). A group of a ...
ordered the whole structure other than the minarets to be pulled down and rebuilt. This work was completed in 1800. The eastern minaret was rebuilt in the original style by
Mahmud II
Mahmud II (, ; 20 July 1785 – 1 July 1839) was the sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1808 until his death in 1839. Often described as the "Peter the Great of Turkey", Mahmud instituted extensive administrative, military, and fiscal reforms ...
in 1822.
Religious significance
As a companion of Muhammad, Abu Ayyub al-Ansari is greatly venerated by
Muslims
Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...
and the site of his ''
türbe
''Türbe'' refers to a Muslim mausoleum, tomb or grave often in the Turkish-speaking areas and for the mausolea of Ottoman sultans, nobles and notables. A typical türbe is located in the grounds of a mosque or complex, often endowed by the ...
'' (tomb) is of particular importance. The mausoleum is positioned on the north side of a courtyard opposite the main entrance to the prayer hall of the mosque. The mosque is also important for Muslims because it holds relics believed to have belonged Muhammad.
Because of the extreme holiness attached to the mosque, many important Ottoman officials and royal family members chose to be buried nearby. They include
Sokollu Mehmet Paşa,
an Ottoman vizier, or chief minister, who served under sultans
Süleyman the Magnificent
Suleiman I (; , ; 6 November 14946 September 1566), commonly known as Suleiman the Magnificent in the Western world and as Suleiman the Lawgiver () in his own realm, was the Ottoman sultan between 1520 and his death in 1566. Under his adminis ...
and
Selim II. Also buried here are
Siyavuş Paşa, another 16th-century grand vizier, and
Lala Mustafa Paşa who conquered Cyprus for the Ottomans in the 16th century. Their tombs stand close to the mosque, as do those of
Adile Sultan and
Mihrişah Valide Sultan, royal women who were buried in grand complexes along the Cülus Yolu (Accession Road). A little more out on a limb, overlooking the water is the tomb of
Sultan Mehmed V which was designed by
Mimar Kemaleddin Bey in 1918. Behind the mosque
Eyüp Cemetery winds up the hill to a lookout point overlooking the Golden Horn. It is crammed full of the gravestones of those who wanted to be buried close to the mosque.
In modern times the holiness of the mosque means that boys who are about to undergo
circumcision
Circumcision is a procedure that removes the foreskin from the human penis. In the most common form of the operation, the foreskin is extended with forceps, then a circumcision device may be placed, after which the foreskin is excised. T ...
(''sünnet'') are sometimes brought here in their special finery. Mass circumcision sessions are organised here for boys from poorer homes (these resumed in 2022 after a break caused by Covid-19 precautions). During
Ramadan
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. It is observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting (''Fasting in Islam, sawm''), communal prayer (salah), reflection, and community. It is also the month in which the Quran is believed ...
this is also a popular place for people to break their fast at ''
iftar
''Iftar'' () is the Fasting in Islam, fast-breaking Supper, evening meal of Muslims in Ramadan at the time of ' (call to prayer) of the Maghrib prayer.
Iftar is the second meal of the day; during Ramadan, the daily fast begins immediately a ...
'', with many choosing to picnic in the courtyard of the mosque. Throughout the year Eyüp Sultan is also a destination of
pilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a travel, journey to a holy place, which can lead to a personal transformation, after which the pilgrim returns to their daily life. A pilgrim (from the Latin ''peregrinus'') is a traveler (literally one who has come from afar) w ...
(''ziyaret'') for people visiting from all over the country.
Architecture
Mosque
Despite the relatively late date of its reconstruction, the Eyüp Sultan Mosque is still faithful to the
Classical style
Classical architecture typically refers to architecture consciously derived from the principles of Greek and Roman architecture of classical antiquity, or more specifically, from ''De architectura'' (c. 10 AD) by the Roman architect Vitruvius. Va ...
of
Ottoman architecture
Ottoman architecture is an architectural style or tradition that developed under the Ottoman Empire over a long period, undergoing some significant changes during its history. It first emerged in northwestern Anatolia in the late 13th century an ...
popularised by
Mimar Sinan
Mimar Sinan (; , ; – 17 July 1588) also known as Koca Mi'mâr Sinân Âğâ, ("Sinan Agha (title), Agha the Grand Architect" or "Grand Sinan") was the chief Ottoman Empire, Ottoman architect, engineer and mathematician for sultans Suleiman ...
in the 16th century. In particular it has been compared to Sinan's
Sokollu Mehmed Pasha Mosque in the Azapkapı neighbourhood, as it follows the same "octagonal baldaquin" design with a central dome surrounded by semi-domes. Much of its decoration, however, is in the contemporary
Ottoman Baroque style, with engaged columns, carved foliate and shell shapes, and Ottoman calligraphic inscriptions. The columns have simple,
Ionic-like
capitals. The undulating decoration of the gateways, ''
mihrab
''Mihrab'' (, ', pl. ') is a niche in the wall of a mosque that indicates the ''qibla'', the direction of the Kaaba in Mecca towards which Muslims should face when praying. The wall in which a ''mihrab'' appears is thus the "''qibla'' wall".
...
'' and ''
minbar
A minbar (; sometimes romanized as ''mimber'') is a pulpit in a mosque where the imam (leader of prayers) stands to deliver sermons (, ''khutbah''). It is also used in other similar contexts, such as in a Hussainiya where the speaker sits and le ...
'' are among the finest examples of this style from the Ottoman Baroque period. The building is primarily built in white stone, with some columns in white
marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock consisting of carbonate minerals (most commonly calcite (CaCO3) or Dolomite (mineral), dolomite (CaMg(CO3)2) that have recrystallized under the influence of heat and pressure. It has a crystalline texture, and is ty ...
bound with
brass
Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc, in proportions which can be varied to achieve different colours and mechanical, electrical, acoustic and chemical properties, but copper typically has the larger proportion, generally copper and zinc. I ...
, and some of the decoration
gilded. The mosque has two minarets built in an earlier style.
File:Eyup Mosque 2466.jpg, Mosque interior (prayer hall)
File:Eyup sultan camii interior Istanbul 2013 3.jpg, Interior of the mosque dome, flanked by semi-domes
File:Dome of the Eyüp Sultan Mosque (2022).jpg, Dome seen directly from below (through the central chandelier)
File:Eyup Sultan Mosque DSCF8171.jpg, The sultan's private balcony or loge, in the corner of the prayer hall
File:Eyup Sultan Mosque DSCF9678.jpg, ''Mihrab
''Mihrab'' (, ', pl. ') is a niche in the wall of a mosque that indicates the ''qibla'', the direction of the Kaaba in Mecca towards which Muslims should face when praying. The wall in which a ''mihrab'' appears is thus the "''qibla'' wall".
...
'' of the mosque
File:Istanbul Eyüp Mosque interior probably Mihrab in 2019 6819.jpg, Detail of the mihrab
File:Eyup Sultan Mimbar.JPG, ''Minbar
A minbar (; sometimes romanized as ''mimber'') is a pulpit in a mosque where the imam (leader of prayers) stands to deliver sermons (, ''khutbah''). It is also used in other similar contexts, such as in a Hussainiya where the speaker sits and le ...
'' (pulpit) of the mosque
From the outside, a large outer courtyard of irregular shape leads to an inner rectangular courtyard. An elevated, enclosed corridor running along the south side of the outer courtyard was originally the sultan's private entrance to the mosque and to his loge (private screened balcony) inside the prayer hall. The
''şadırvan'' (
ablutions fountain) is located in this courtyard. The inner courtyard grants access to the mosque on one side and to the shrine of Abu Ayyub al-Ansari on the other. An old
plane tree stands in the middle of this courtyard on a rectangular platform or
parterre
A ''parterre'' is a part of a formal garden constructed on a level substrate, consisting of symmetrical patterns, made up by plant beds, plats, low hedges or coloured gravels, which are separated and connected by paths. Typically it was the ...
with Baroque marble fountains at its corners. This platform was formerly where Ottoman sultans were girded with the
Sword of Osman upon their accession to the throne. A
portico
A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls. This idea was widely used in ancient Greece and has influenced many cu ...
of arches and domes runs around three sides of the courtyard, preceding the entrance to the mosque.
File:Eyup Sultan Mosque DSCF9633.jpg, Exterior view of the complex, from the west
File:Eyüp Sultan Mosque - Entrance - Quraan.jpg, Gate of the outer courtyard
File:Eyup Sultan Mosque DSCF9635.jpg, Outer courtyard of the mosque
File:Eyup sultan camii Istanbul 2013 3.jpg, Ablutions fountain ('' şadırvan'') in the outer courtyard
File:Eyup Sultan Mosque DSCF9636.jpg, View of the elevated passage formerly used as the sultan's entrance to the mosque
File:Eyüp Sultan Mosque - Door - Quraan.jpg, Gate to the inner courtyard
File:Eyup Mosque 7211.jpg, Inner courtyard, with portico in front of mosque entrance
File:Eyup sultan camii Istanbul 2013 7.jpg, The tree and garden platform of the inner courtyard (2013 photo during restoration)
File:Eyüp Sultan Mosque - Fountain.jpg, Fountain on the corner of the garden platform
File:Eyup Sultan Mosque DSCF8159.jpg, Main entrance to the mosque's interior
Mausoleum
al-Ansari's mausoleum is attached on the northwest side of the mosque's inner courtyard. The entrance is preceded by a projecting portico that extends to the edge of the courtyard's garden platform. Inside is a vestibule chamber which precedes the tomb chamber itself, which has a traditional octagonal shape covered by a dome. The sarcophagus is enclosed by a Baroque-style silver screen, additionally adorned with framed calligraphy, lamps, and other ornaments.
File:Eyüp Sultan Türbesi 2022 (3).jpg, Exterior of the mausoleum of Abu Ayyub al-Ansari, seen from the mosque courtyard
File:Eyupsultan5.JPG, Portico and façade of the mausoleum
File:Tomb of Ayyup al-Ansari DSCF8137.jpg, Vestibule of the mausoleum
File:Istanbul Eyüp Türbesi Shrine in 2015 5051.jpg, Doorway to the tomb chamber. The silver screen around the cenotaph is visible inside.
The wall of the mausoleum facing the portico is covered with panels of
Iznik tiles dating from different periods and brought together during the reconstruction of the mosque in 1798–1799. The walls of the mausoleum's vestibule are also covered in Iznik tiles, many of them showing the characteristic sealing-wax red glaze known as
Armenian bole
Armenian bole, also known as bolus armenus or bole armoniac, is an earthy clay, usually red, native to Armenia but also found in other places. The term Armenian was later referred to a specific quality of the clay. Originally used in medication, i ...
and dating from around 1580, a highpoint for İznik tile design. Similar tiles in the
Victoria and Albert Museum
The Victoria and Albert Museum (abbreviated V&A) in London is the world's largest museum of applied arts, decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 2.8 million objects. It was founded in 1852 and named after Queen ...
in
London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
may once have covered the walls of the since demolished entrance hall (''camekân'') to the baths.
The
British Museum
The British Museum is a Museum, public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is the largest in the world. It documents the story of human cu ...
also has a panel of three navy and turquoise Iznik tiles, dating from around 1550, that are similar to some of those decorating the outside wall of the shrine. In 2022 a man with a hammer damaged the tiles on either side of the ''dua penceresi'' (prayer window) in the courtyard of the mosque, claiming that devil's horns were incorporated into their design.
File:Istanbul Eyüp Türbesi exterior in 2018 7208.jpg, Iznik tile panels on the outside wall of the mausoleum
File:Istanbul Eyüp Türbesi Tiles in 2009 2425.jpg, Iznik tile panels in the mausoleum's vestibule
File:Istanbul Eyüp Türbesi Tiles in 2015 5039.jpg, Example of Iznik tiles from their best artistic period, inside the vestibule
File:DSC04750 Istanbul - Piastrella a Eyüp - Foto G. Dall'Orto 30-5-2006.jpg, Detail of some tiles in the vestibule
File:Istanbul Eyüp Türbesi Tiles in 2009 2454.jpg, Detail of some tiles in the vestibule
Other structures
The mosque was once the centre of a larger ''
külliye
A külliye () is a complex of buildings associated with Turkish architecture centered on a mosque and managed within a single institution, often based on a waqf (charitable foundation) and composed of a madrasa, a Dar al-Shifa (clinic), kitchens ...
'' (mosque complex) including a ''
medrese
Madrasa (, also , ; Arabic: مدرسة , ), sometimes Romanization of Arabic, romanized as madrasah or madrassa, is the Arabic word for any Educational institution, type of educational institution, secular or religious (of any religion), whet ...
'' (theological school), ''
imaret'' (soup kitchen), and ''
hamam
A hammam (), also often called a Turkish bath by Westerners, is a type of steam bath or a place of public bathing associated with the Islamic world. It is a prominent feature in the Islamic culture, culture of the Muslim world and was inherited ...
'' (public baths). The ''medrese'' was most likely demolished during the present mosque's reconstruction, but most of the ''hamam'' has been preserved and remains in use (although its original changing room has been replaced by a more recent wooden construction). A number of other Ottoman funerary and charitable buildings stand in the vicinity the mosque. One of the closest structures is the well-preserved
imaret and tomb complex of Mihrişah Sultan (Selim III's mother), also in Baroque style. It was built several years before Selim III's reconstruction of the mosque and acts as another ancillary structure to al-Ansari's shrine.
See also
*
List of mosques
Notes
References
Sources
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External links
Photographs of the mosque by Dick Osseman
{{DEFAULTSORT:Eyup Sultan Mosque
Abu Ayyub al-Ansari
Buildings and structures completed in 1458
Mosques completed in the 1450s
*
Golden Horn
Ottoman mosques in Istanbul