Eyup Mosque & Eyup District – Historical Istanbul Tours
The region because of being outside the city walls since a long time is used as cemetery place
Eyup District – Eyup
Eyup is a district located at the confluence of Kagithane and Alibey streams on the end of Golden Horn. In Byzantine period, there was a church in the village and later a monastery, which was built on the steep hill behind today’s Eyup Mosque. According to Arab traveller Zakariya al-Kazvini before the city was conquered by Ottomons there was a tomb here venerated by the Byzantines. According to many Arab historians, to preserve the muslims martyr’s tombs in the region a peace was signed between Arab army and the Byzantines.
The area historically is very important region for muslims. This is because of the area reputed to be the burial place of Abu Eyup Al-ansari, a friend and standard bearer of the Prophet Muhammed. When Arab soldiers sieged Costantinople between 674 and 678, it is said Eyup was among the the leaders of first Arab army. He was killed and buried somewhere outside city walls. About eigth century later, after the city was conquered by Mehmet II, Eyup’s tomb was discovered by Aksemsettin and a tomb constructed over it. Then a mosque and a complex was constructed on the region in 1458. The mosque most probably during the great eartquake of 1766 was destroyed and reconstructed by during reign of Selim III at the same place in the year 1800.
The region because of being outside the city walls since a long time is used as cemetery place.
Eyup Mosque on Google Maps