It has been a while since I last wrote about Istanbul and there are still so many stories from this Turkish city that I want to share with you.

So, let me pick it up from where I left it. After a visit to Balat, to my eyes one of Istanbul's most colourful neighbourhoods, we continued walking along the European side of the Golden Horn to Eyüp.

Eyüp is a historically important area in Istanbul, especially for Muslims. The name of the neighbourhood comes from Abu Ayyub al-Ansari, the companion and standard bearer of the Prophet Muhammad, who was killed during the First Arab Siege of Constantinople (674-678) and is said to have been buried here. After the city was taken by the Ottomans (1453), Sultan Mehmet ordered a türbe (a tomb) and a mosque to be built on his resting place. It was the first major mosque to be built by the Ottoman Turks in Istanbul and it is surrounded by a major complex including schools, baths and a kitchen. Eyüp Sultan Mosque is therefore a sacred place and a very important pilgrimage site for Muslims, that come mostly on Fridays for the prayer.  

Such a beautiful sunny day in Eyüp.

Ottoman tombs.

The Sultan's road. During Ottoman times, it was only used for the sword-girding ceremony on the first day of his Sultanate.

We were actually headed to the Pierre Loti Café when I saw the Sultan's road from the sidewalk. It was midday, we were a bit tired from all the walking around Balat and we wanted to find a nice spot with a shade to drink something. But when I saw the gigantic complex of the mosque I just thought about taking a closer look at it.

As we began rambling through the street, we saw nothing but Ottoman tombs to each side of the Sultan's road. It was as if we had walked into a different dimension, because all the noise coming from the cars and the people was reduced to a startling silence, which is pretty uncommon for such a vibrant city like Istanbul. Doing some research about this part of town I read that during the Industrial Revolution, part of the spiritual vibe of Eyüp was lost because many factories were established along the Golden Horn. Nowadays they have been closed or cleaned up, which has brought peace back to this place.

A sea of hiyabs (veils) in all kinds of patterns and colours is the first image that comes to my mind whenever I think about the moment I walked around the main courtyard of the mosque. Gathered in front of a gate, both men and women were immersed in their own worlds through prayers. I stood there amidst the crowd feeling that I was part of that delicate scheme, being within and without at the same time.

And regardless of what I believed in, I could perceive a certain mysticism in the air that enfolded me. Once again, Istanbul gave me another opportunity to experience and come closer to its soul.

Friday prayer scene.

Friday prayer scene.

Friday prayer scene.

Friday prayer scene.

Have nice Sunday,
Astrid