Eyup Cemetery

The Eyup Cemetery, located outside the city walls, is one of the oldest, largest, and most sacred burial sites in Istanbul. It begins near the Eyup Sultan Mosque where the mausoleum of the prophet Muhammad’s standard-bearer, Abu Ayyub al-Ansari, is erected. The cemetery expands along the shores of the Golden Horn, and up the hilly terrain with tombstones facing the Golden Horn and turbes of sultans, court members, and the elite on the valley. This image captures how the combination of the blue water, the green of its cypress trees and odoriferous plants, and the colorful flowers on the tombs conjure a visual image of the Paradise Garden. This earthly paradise, a place for remembrance of the dead, is also enjoyed by the living as the city inhabitants use the Eyup Cemetery as a public park, where they engage in social interaction and come in contact with nature.