In Istanbul, in the upper reaches of the Golden Horn Bay, there is a mosque. She does not sparkle with external decoration? Although built of white marble, inexorable time left its mark on it. But its classical forms in the Baroque style of the fifteenth century will not let pass.
And it is worth wondering. After all, the Sultan Eyup Mosque is the main Muslim shrine of Turkey, the second most important after the Prophet’s mosque in Medina.
It was built in 1459 by Sultan Mehmed II. in memory of Abu Eyyup al-Ansari, a faithful companion of the Prophet Muhammad in the place where the Ayup sultan was killed during the siege of Constantinople by the Arabs.
The architecture of the mosque is very original. The large dome in the center is framed by eight smaller domes. The walls of the mosque are made of white marble, and the two minarets included in the ensemble are made of granite. In the courtyard there is a gallery, covered with a roof. In the shadow of the courtyard is a fountain in which worshipers perform ablution. This is precisely where the ritual of encircling the Sultan who enters into the rights took place with the sword.
But if you go inside, then the interior decoration will suddenly amaze you with the richness, beauty and grace of forms. Here you can truly feel the breath of those distant times when the Ottoman Empire was experiencing its magnificent Age.
In principle, this is a whole complex where the mosque itself, the Eyup mausoleum, the school of readers of the Koran and the religious law school are included. Next to the mosque is the mausoleum of Sokolu Mahmed Pasha.
The Eyup Sultan Mosque is also noteworthy in that, starting from the 16th century, it served as a place where each sultan ascending the throne, Sheikh ul-Islam put on his belt the sword of Osman Gazi, the founder of the Ottoman dynasty.
Muslim relics are kept in the mausoleum. There is even a footprint of the great prophet Muhammad. The mosque is a place where a lot of believers come to Islamic holidays. But, nevertheless, the mosque can be visited almost any day when the prayer does not pass.
In the square in front of the mosque there is a fountain, which always crowds the people.
From Eyup Mosque, a winding trail goes to the top of the hill. it passes among tombstones and mausoleums. Here silence reigns, the exact opposite of the incessant noise in the city center. From the top of the hill offers a magnificent view of the Golden Horn.
