With the weather being not as warm and sunny as expected for this time of the year (back in March), we decided to do a more “inland” activity for that weekend, and something we could still enjoy with not much more than a light jacket and closed shoes.

So we psyched ourselves up for a what we expected to be an active day out, both given the distance (about 20 kms from home – about 45-60 minute journey with any given transport), packed up our bags and baby’s food and snacks and headed off to the Golden Horn neighbourhood of Eyup.

Why Eyup? This place holds  high historical significance for us as Muslims where one of the close companions of the  Messenger of Allah Muhammad (may peace be upon him), with the name Abu Ayub Ansari is buried. With a fascinating story of his special relationship with the Prophet (may peace be upon him) and how this companion got to be in present day Istanbul, I was quite interested in visiting the Eyup Sultan Camii (Mosque) and the Tomb, and experiencing the special atmosphere that this place boasts and which people often talk about.

We decided to take the bus and metro going there from Etiler as it would be much less expensive, and knowing how tired we would be after a full day out , we saved the Uber ride for the way back. We reached Eyup in about 1.5 hours so by 2pm, given a few bus waits and switching modes of transport.

We started our exploring with a pitstop for some local Turkish snacks – which I for some reason expected to be more authentic and tasty, given Eyup is a more traditional area. I can’t say I thoroughly enjoyed my pide, or my husbands doner wrap from the local stores just opposite the musjid- but it sufficed to keep us going for the next stop!

It was just after the midday prayer  (Zuhr salaah) so we headed straight for the Eyup Sultan Camii

Inside Eyup Camii

(mosque) to pray. There are mats also laid outside as the crowds can get quite large, especially on Fridays. The mosque was quite busy, even for a Sunday but I managed to get a place to pray peacefully and afterwards I popped into the main part of the Camii where they were having a zikr (a programme to remember Allah and pray together). After this, I followed the large entourage of people into the grave Abu Ayub Ansari, to say a prayer for him and remind myself of his incredible character, and to be inspired by his generosity. Inside that area is also a few amazing relics related to the Prophet Muhammad (may peace be upon him) such as his foot print and a beard hair. It was a fascinating and rewarding experience. There is a steady stream of people seemingly all day doing their visits to the grave, include bridal couples which I guess feel it to be spiritual and a blessing to visit on their special day.

Eyup Mosque complex

Thereafter we decided to stroll around the mosque complex, view the beautiful fountain and take a few mandatory pictures. I felt that if we lived closer it would be a lovely place to chill out in the afternoons or at weekends – there’s a pleasant vibe with families milling around and stores bustling. 
I was very attracted to the various food stalls especially the ice cream stalls – and at that point I decided to give Turkish dondurma (ice-cream) a second chance. I haven’t really enjoyed it before but I also learnt that not all Turkish food is created equally! I opted for chocolate and bubblegum ice-cream  (he called it Italian Caramel flavour but I knew better!) with a dip in chocolate sauce, and it looked really good! I didn’t however get a little trick show that they commonly do to amuse usually tourists when they hand you the ice cream. This experience of Turkish ice cream, which has a slightly “chewy” kind of texture, due to mastic that is added to it was actually “not bad”! The flavour was distinct and the cone fresh and crisp and so I’m now open to trying other flavours of Turkish ice cream and not just opting for my favorite type of ice cream -gelato all the time. When in Turkey, right?!

Turkish Ice cream (dondurma)

We made our way through the various streets just outside the mosque where they were selling abayas (islamic wear), modest tops and clothes, hijabs, and other islamic goods. You can also get Turkish delight, gifts and other local goods and it makes for a lovely walk. I bought two Turkish abayas, at keen prices which I was well pleased with. I even came across a local cake sale – how exciting! Apparently they were raising money for Africa (at least that’s what I understood in my broken Turkish), but it was all homemade goodies so I stocked up on some savoury and lemon and marble cake. I got to try “dolma” – rice-stuffed peppers which were quite tasty.

Outside the Eyup mosque, in the courtyard

After about a half hour of walking, and by late afternoon, we found ourselves a little further out from the town centre, but still on track towards making our way to our next stop – Pierre Loti Tepesi. Our leisurely walk quickly turned into a not so leisurely hill climb- and and even less leisurely steep stair climb up to this famous spot. But it was that or backtrack for a 20 minute walk and wait for the Teleferic (cable car) which was a less appealing option! We finally made it to the top of the summit and we were at Pierre Loti – tired and ready for some food! There are about four different restaurants/cafes, including a hotel if you fancy. It is a good idea to simple head to any one of your choice rather than meandering around the streets, like we did and getting lost in a residential area of some sort. We decided to eat at Aziyade cafe, which had a more extensive menu than Teras Cafe which admittdley though seemed to have a better, wider view of the Bosphorus below. From our table at Aziyade though, we could see the beautiful water and far in the distance Galata Tower. We had gozleme made fresh by some Turkish women, a chicken wrap and kofte which were good. When we were done we walked over to the viewing platform for some lovely pictures and to try to take the cable car down. I read plenty reviews on Tripadvisor which recommended not waiting for what could be over an hour long wait in the queue as the ride isn’t that special in itself, and so we compiled and took an Uber ride home instead, which was worth it for convenience and time (cost 70 TL).  There were taxis coming up to the top, which is good to know for next time if need be.

I liked my day out in Eyup, made up of some history, spirituality and relaxation. Based on our timings for the day, I can now share this recommendation for others.

Suggested Itinerary for a Day Out in Eyup:

Camii visit and prayer                      20-30 mins
Grave visit                                        15 mins
Stroll around stores                           1 hour
Walk/commute to Pierre Loti            20 mins
Visit at Pierre Loti  (photos, meal, chill) 1-1.5 hours

We left at 12pm, and returned home by 7pm with enough time to appreciate each point of interest along the way.

Exploring Istanbul, one enjoyable outing at a time,
MbyD