Ayüb

Ayub or Eyup, located outside the city walls on top of the Golden Horn, is one of the oldest districts in Istanbul and considered one of the most sacred areas due to the origins of its formation around the tomb of the Prophet’s Companion, Abu Ayyub al-Ansari, and the Eyup Sultan Mosque (1458) built nearby shortly after the conquest of Constantinople by Mehmed II. Abu Ayyub was named the patron saint of the city and a tradition started in which all Ottoman rulers would visit the Eyup Sultan Mosque during the celebration of the girding with the sword of Osman at the time of their succession to the throne. In this image, the stone building emerges as a strong and solid element that exudes a sense of permanence. The dynamic movement of the trees and the smaller scale of the human figures enhance the solidity and powerful quality of the structure. The depiction of the figures engaged in different activities in the mosque’s court offers the viewer a glimpse of everyday life.