Pierre Loti Hill and Eyup Sultan Mosque

Stand on the Pierre Loti terrace and the Golden Horn runs away below you towards the domes of the Old City, while the gravestones of Eyup cemetery cover the hillside under your feet. Few views in Istanbul this good come without a ticket. Eyup Sultan Mosque sits at the base of the hill, and many Turks consider it the holiest site in the city. Two to three hours is enough for most people to see both.

Quick facts

The man behind the name

Pierre Loti was the name under which Julien Viaud, a French novelist and naval officer, wrote. His first visit to Istanbul was in 1876. He fell in love with the place and set romantic novels there that became popular in France. A coffee house on this hill was one of his favourite places to sit; after he died, the café took his name, and in time so did the hill. Today's café is a reconstruction, but people come for the terrace and the view rather than the building itself.

Eyup Sultan Mosque and the tomb

Eyup Sultan is the Turkish name for Abu Ayyub al-Ansari, a companion of the Prophet Muhammad. He died in the 7th century while Arab forces besieged Constantinople, and he was buried beyond the city walls. Once the Ottomans had conquered the city in 1453, his grave was located, and in 1458 Mehmed II put up a mosque next to it, the first the Ottomans built in Istanbul. Over the centuries, each new sultan came here to be girded with the sword of Osman, a ritual that served as a coronation.

Earthquakes left the first building badly damaged. What stands today was rebuilt under Selim III around 1800, in the Ottoman baroque style then in fashion. Across the courtyard is the tiled tomb of Eyup Sultan. Pilgrims queue to enter, and you should remember that it is above all a place of prayer.

What to see

• Eyup Sultan's tomb, its walls covered in tiles behind a silver grille. Go in quietly and stay to one side.
• The courtyard of the mosque, shaded by plane trees, with a fountain; at weekends you may see boys in white with gold capes, dressed for their circumcision ceremony.
• The path through the cemetery, rising from the mosque to the top of the hill past Ottoman headstones carved with flowers and turbans.
• The view over the Golden Horn from the Pierre Loti terrace, at its best late in the afternoon, when the western sun is at your back.
• The cable car, a brief gondola trip above the cemetery; the view widens as you climb.

Best time to visit

Ride up late in the afternoon for the view and sunset, then follow the cemetery path down to the mosque before dark. At the mosque, weekday mornings are calmest. Friday noon, weekends and religious holidays draw big crowds of pilgrims and Turkish families. On weekend afternoons the hilltop cafés are at their busiest, and the tables with the best outlook go first.

Pierre Loti Hill and the Golden Horn are among the stops on our Best of Istanbul: 1, 2 or 3-Day Private Guided Istanbul Tour, led by a licensed guide, from US$199 per group per day. For longer trips, the hill is also on the 6 Days Private Turkey Tour: Istanbul & Cappadocia and the Small Group: 9 Days Turkey Tour.

Tips

• Take the cable car up and walk back down. The cemetery path is steep; the descent is about 15 minutes.
• Expect to pay more for tea and coffee on the terrace than in the city. The price includes the view.
• Halic line ferries call at Eyup pier, a slow, scenic approach from Balat or Karakoy.
• Pair the visit with Balat and Fener, a quick bus or taxi ride back along the Golden Horn.
• No photography inside the tomb.

Our Istanbul destination page lists more sights in the area.

Frequently Asked Questions