Eyüp Sultan Mosque stands in
Eyüp on the northern end of the
Golden Horn. The
mosque is named in memory of
Eyüp El-Ensari who was the flag man of
Holy Mohammed. The complex which includes the
mosque comprises a
madrasah, an alms house, a
soupkitchen and a bath. The grave of
Eyüp El-Ensari which has been converted into a tomb is situated here as well.
The mosque was built in the year 1458 during the reign of
Fatih Sultan Mehmet. Between 1798 and 1800 a
mosque under barock influence was erected onto the remains of the mosque which was demolished during the earthquake in 1766 during the reign of
Sultan Selim IIII . The mosque has a dom with a diameter of 17.50 meters and two rather long minarets. In the year 1822 the minaret on the sea side was damaged by lightning upon which the minarets were reconstructed up to the their balconies. The
mosque from its layout point of view is considered an eighth rank mosque. The building has been embellished with tiles from the 16th century onwards. The main altar has been decorated with gold gild. Another important fact about this mosque is that the french author
Piere Loti who was in love with
İstanbul came here to see over the beautiful scenery of the
Golden Horn and that a cafe called
Pier Loti was established here in his memory.
