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Mosque built by Sinan in Azapkapi. It does
not resemble much to the baroque mosques of the time. Interior
of the mosque was decorated with calligraphic works and framed
inscriptions given as a gift in different periods.
The tile panels from the 16th century,
dominated with shades of blue and green, attract most of the
attention to the tomb of Eyup Ensari. The building has an
octagon shape and a dome. 'The Window of Life', which faces the
courtyard of the mosque and has bronze carving, was build under
auspices of Sultan Ahmet I. In the epitaph it is written that
the Sultan Ahmet had also visited the tomb during the
construction the minaret.
At the outermost part of the courtyard and
among the sublime plane trees there is an elegant fountain. In
the three sides of the outer courtyard is a portico of thirteen
domes on twelve columns. Of these domes, inner seven form the
last congregation place of the mosque.
There are small fountains called 'the
Fountains of Fortune' at the four corners of the banisters
surrounding the plane tree. Of the buildings in the complex of
the Eyup Mosque, such as madrasah, caravansary, hamam and soup-kitchens,
only a part of the hamam and the tombs have survived. The boys
to be circumcised, the hopeless patients in search for a remedy,
the sport teams to play national games frequently visit the Eyup
Mosque and pray.
In the Eyup district, there are many tombs
and complexes built for pious people who want to be buried in
the vicinity of this saint. Moreover, it is very delightful to
drink Turkish coffee by watching the Golden Horn from the Cafe
above, the 'Pierre Loti' Cafe. The Cafe takes its name from the
French author who wrote his works here in the 19th Century. |
