🕌 Eyüp Sultan Mosque
Turkey
About This Sacred Site
The Eyüp Sultan Mosque in Istanbul is built at the supposed burial site of Abu Ayyub al-Ansari, the Prophet Muhammad's companion and standard-bearer, who died during the first Arab siege of Constantinople in 674-678 CE. His tomb was reportedly rediscovered by Mehmed the Conqueror's spiritual advisor during the 1453 conquest, and the mosque was the first built in Istanbul after the Ottoman conquest. It is the holiest Islamic site in Istanbul and the third-most sacred mosque in the Islamic world after those in Mecca and Medina according to Ottoman tradition.
Key Facts
- •Abu Ayyub al-Ansari hosted the Prophet Muhammad when he first arrived in Medina
- •The first mosque built in Istanbul after the Ottoman conquest of 1453
- •Ottoman sultans were girded with the Sword of Osman here — equivalent to a coronation
- •The tomb was rediscovered during the siege of Constantinople in 1453
- •The Pierre Loti Café hill above offers panoramic views of the Golden Horn
Location
Coordinates: 41.0478, 28.9344
Related Holy Sites
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🕌Al-Masjid an-Nabawi (Prophet's Mosque)
The second holiest mosque in Islam, containing the tomb of Prophet Muhammad.
🕌Ajmer Sharif Dargah
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⛰️Mount Arafat (Jabal Arafat)
The sacred mountain where pilgrims gather for the most important day of Hajj.
⛺Mina (Tent City)
A vast tent city where millions of Hajj pilgrims perform the symbolic stoning of the devil.
🕌Masjid al-Quba
The first mosque built in Islam, founded by Prophet Muhammad upon his arrival in Medina.