Muhammed El Ensari Tomb
About the Person:
- Muhammed al-Ansari was one of the Companions of the Prophet from Medina. According to tradition, he was a close friend of the famous Companion Abu Ayyub al-Ansari.
- He joined the Arab campaign with the aim of conquering Constantinople and came from Medina. He was martyred during the siege and buried at the location of his present-day tomb.
- His father, Jabir ibn Abdullah, is buried at the Cabir Mosque in Ayvansaray, Istanbul. His mother, Daye Hatun (Suhayma bint Masud), is buried in the cemetery of Kocamustafapaşa Mosque. This suggests that the entire family took part in the expedition for the conquest of Constantinople.
About the Tomb:
Construction Year: 19th century
Ordered by: Mahmud II
Architect: Unknown
Prominent Features:
- The tomb is built of ashlar küfeki stone.
- It is covered with a traditional roof.
- Above the entrance door is the tughra of Sultan Mahmud II.
- The tomb contains a chamber and a well.
- It is one of the first stops for visitors heading to Eyüp Sultan.
- The Hatice Sultan Primary School (Sıbyan Mektebi) is located next to the tomb.
- The tomb lies at the point where the land walls of Istanbul meet the sea.
- It has undergone multiple restorations over time; the inscription above the door documents these renovations.
- The grave of Muhammed al-Ansari is also remembered in Düğmeciler Mosque. The mosque was built in 1565 by Mimar Sinan and endowed by Dökmecizade Chief Judge Mehmed Bakır Efendi, who died in 1589. It was repaired after the 1895 earthquake and underwent extensive restoration in 1970.
