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Eyüp Sultan Mosque, located in Istanbul's Eyüp district, is one of the city’s most sacred Islamic sites. Built in 1458 by Sultan Mehmed II, it marks the burial place of Abu Ayyub al-Ansari, a companion of Prophet Muhammad who died during the first Arab siege of Constantinople in the 670s.
The current mosque, rebuilt in 1800 after earthquake damage, reflects classical Ottoman architecture with later Baroque decorative elements. The complex includes a mausoleum, minarets, and is surrounded by the tombs of many notable Ottoman figures.
The mosque played a key role in Ottoman coronation rituals, where sultans were girded with the Sword of Osman. It remains a major pilgrimage site and a popular spot for Ramadan iftar meals and circumcision ceremonies.
References:The church of the former Franciscan monastery was built probably between 1515 and 1520. It is located in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Old Rauma. The church stands by the small stream of Raumanjoki (Rauma river).
The exact age of the Church of the Holy Cross is unknown, but it was built to serve as the monastery church of the Rauma Franciscan Friary. The monastery had been established in the early 15th century and a wooden church was built on this location around the year 1420.
The Church of the Holy Cross served the monastery until 1538, when it was abandoned for a hundred years as the Franciscan friary was disbanded in the Swedish Reformation. The church was re-established as a Lutheran church in 1640, when the nearby Church of the Holy Trinity was destroyed by fire.
The choir of the two-aisle grey granite church features medieval murals and frescoes. The white steeple of the church was built in 1816 and has served as a landmark for seafarers.