The Tomb of Eyüp Sultan

Istanbul · Turkiet · Historic building

A light descends on that slope every night, said the sheikh — they dug where he pointed and found a marble slab bearing the name.

After the conquest of 1453 Mehmed the Conqueror wanted to know where Abu Ayyub al-Ansari lay buried — the Prophet's host in Medina, who had fallen outside these walls during the Arab siege eight centuries earlier. Nobody knew. The sultan's teacher Akşemseddin answered that every night he saw a light descend over that particular slope, and that if they dug there, white marble would appear. They dug. Under the soil lay a slab inscribed: this is the grave of Abu Ayyub. A mosque and tomb were raised on the spot, and Eyüp became the city's holiest place — every new sultan came here to be girded with the sword. Outside spreads the hillside of gravestones that Pierre Loti made famous. The pigeons over the courtyard are considered protected, and nobody raises their voice inside the wall.

FAQ

Hvor ligger The Tomb of Eyüp Sultan?

The Tomb of Eyüp Sultan ligger i Istanbul, Turkiet.