What you will see

Eyüp is the most sacred place in Istanbul – it is where the standard bearer of the Prophet himself is said to have fallen during one of the Arab sieges of the city, a spot miraculously discovered during the final, successful Ottoman siege of 1453. As the holiest of holy places, it became the most desirable place to be buried on the European side of the Bosphorus. The approach from the sea was unforgivably spoilt by a new main road, but once inside the precints of the Eyüp Mosque (rebuilt in the late 18th century), this is a place with atmosphere. A fenicular saves you the shlep up the hill to the Pierre Loti Café, with its famous view down the Golden Horn. The Zal Mahmut Pasha Mosque is another fascinating Sinan essay. The sacred shrine of Eyüp himself is plastered with a mosaic of fascinating Iznik tiles. A janissary band often plays on Fridays.