Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
constructed from cast-iron pieces shipped down the Danube and across the Black Sea
from Vienna on 100 barges, the idea was extremely novel.
The building's interior features screens, a balcony and columns all cast from iron; it is
extremely beautiful, with the gilded iron glinting in the hazy light that filters in through
stained-glass windows.
The congregation are members of the Bulgarian Orthodox Exarchate (Bulgarian Ortho-
dox Church), which broke away from the Greek Ecumenical Orthodox Patriarchate in
1872. This is the church's İstanbul base.
The building was closed for restoration at the time of writing.
SULTAN SELİM MOSQUE
OFFLINE MAP
| MOSQUE
(Sultan Selim Camii, Mosque of Yavuz Selim; Yavuz Selim Caddesi, Çarşamba; 90 from Eminönü)
The sultan to whom this mosque was dedicated (Süleyman the Magnificent's father, Selim
I, known as 'the Grim') was by all accounts a nasty piece of work. He is famous for hav-
ing killed his father, two of his brothers, six of his nephews and three of his own sons.
Odd, then, that İstanbullus love his mosque so much.
The reason becomes clear when a visit reveals the mosque's position on a terrace with
spectacular views of the Golden Horn - picnic spots don't come much better than this.
Topping one of İstanbul's six hills, the mosque is located in the fascinating Çarşamba
district, one of the city's most conservative enclaves. Women in black chadors and men
with long beards and traditional clothing are seen everywhere, often hurrying to prayers at
the İsmail Ağa Mosque, headquarters of the Nakşibendi Tarikatı, a Sufi sect.
The building itself, constructed in 1522, has a simple but elegant design and was near-
ing the end of a major renovation at the time of writing. Inside, its tilework and painted
woodwork provide the most distinctive features.
EYÜP SULTAN MOSQUE
(Eyüp Sultan Camii, Mosque of the Great Eyüp; Camii Kebir Sokak, Eyüp; tomb 9.30am-4.30pm;
36CE, 44B, 99 from Eminönü, Eyüp)
This important complex marks the supposed burial
place of Ebu Eyüp el-Ensari, a friend of the Prophet's who fell in battle outside the walls
of Constantinople while carrying the banner of Islam during the Arab assault and siege of
the city from 674 to 678. His tomb is İstanbul's most important Islamic shrine.
| MOSQUE
Eyüp's grave was identified in a location outside the city walls Immediately after the
Conquest, and Sultan Mehmet II decided to build a grand tomb to mark its location. The
