Lonely Planet İstanbul Guide

God Protect Him) . These lads are on the way to their sünnet (circumcision) and have made a stop beforehand in this holy area. On the northern edge of the square is the 3 Eyüp Sultan Mosque and the 4 Tomb of Ebu Eyüp el-Ensari, the most important religious site in İstanbul. Enter the mosque’s courtyard, which is shaded by a huge plane tree; the mosque is to your right and the tomb, rich with silver, gold and crystal chandeliers and coloured İznik tiles, is to your left. After visiting both, walk out of the main gate and turn right into Balaban Yolu Sokak. Walk around the mosque complex (keeping it to your right) until you see a set of stairs and a cobbled path going uphill into the 5 Eyüp Sultan Mezarlığı (Cemetery of the Great Eyüp), where many important Ottomans are buried. It is worth wandering off the path and through the cemetery, as many of the headstones and tombs feature fine calligraphy and statuary. Walk uphill for approximately 15 minutes to reach your final destination, the 6 Pierre Loti Café, from where you can admire a panoramic view of the Golden Horn.