Sinan the Architect, a well-known Ottoman architect, constructed this beautiful mosque with expertise evident in the stunning design of the building. When you walk into the mosque, the enormity of the space strikes you. The mosque’s predominantly honey-colored bricks, luxurious carpets, and stunning low-hanging crystal chandeliers are all quite appealing. Istanbul Tourist Pass® offers you a great free guided tour of this amazing mosque.

Thanks to its rich history, Istanbul has more than enough places for you to visit. Museums, mosques, fortresses, you name it, the city has it. One of the most popular places that attract tourists is the historical mosques, and our pick for today will be the Eyup Sultan Mosque. As it is the oldest and the most important mosque in Istanbul, it is a must-go if you are planning a cultural tour in Istanbul.

Eyup Sultan Mosque was built on the tomb of Abu Eyup el-Ensari, who was a close friend of the Prophet. During the first Arab siege of Constantinople from 674 to 678, he fell ill and died outside the walls while bearing the banner of the Prophet’s army. He asked his friends to bury him deep inside Constantinople after the siege was over. Though they failed to breach deep into the walls, they did bury him by the Golden Horn and honored his request. After Mehmet the Conqueror took Istanbul in 1453, he asked his spiritual advisor – the Shaykh al-Islam – Akshemsuddin to find the location of Eyup el-Ensari’s burial place. After looking for the tomb for a week, one day Akshemsuddin passed out and saw a dream. Upon waking up, he claimed that the tomb was on the spot where he would lay the carpet for prayer. They found the tomb after some digging on the spot he stated. On the tomb, it said “Tomb of Ebu Eyyub” in Sufi letters.