EDIRNE TURKEY

Edirne

As a gate of Anatoliato the Balkans and Europe, Edirne has a rich variety of historical andcultural attractions.  The city that served as the capital of the OttomanEmpire; it is adorned with historical monuments such as inns, mosques,bridges and bazaars. The traces of the city´s remarkable past can be seen inthese works.

It isdifficult to list the “must see” attractions of a city like Edirne, so we willjust give you some hints of the places worth seeing and the rest will be up toyou.

Selimiye Mosque and its Social Complex

Constructedby the architect Mimar Sinan between 1569 and 1575, the SelimiyeMosque and its complex (Selimiye Cami ve Külliyesi) are listed inthe Unesco World Heritage List in 2011. A masterpiece ofTurkish art and in the history of world architecture, the Selimiye Mosque is visiblefrom all over the city with its magnificient dome and four slender minarets.Besides its unique architectural characteristics, the mosque evokes admirationwith its exquisite details in its carved-stonework and marble, glazed tiles,wood carving and mother-of-pearl inlays.

Eski Mosque

Eski Mosque (Eski Cami) is the first originalmonumental building in Edirne that survived until today. The construction ofthis classical example of the multi-domed mosques started in 1403 and wascompleted in 1414. 

Edirne Archaeological and Ethnographic Museum

The firstmuseum in Edirne was opened with the name Archaeology Museum (Arkeolojive Etnografi Müzesi) in 1925 upon the order of Atatürk. The buildingwas a part of Selimiye Mosque located in the courtyard of Selimiye Mosque andit is the work of Mimar Sinan. And the modern museum consisting ofArchaeology and Ethnography sections is opened in 1971. Archaeologysection is organised as fossils, coins, stone works, metal works, bone worksand terracotta artifacts. Cavalry steles depicting the Thracian cavalry areexhibited in the showcase belonging to Thracian cult objectsthe grave gifts obtained in the Hacılar Dolmen, Arpalık Dolmen and TaşlıcaBayır Tumulus excavations are exhibited in the showcases called with theirnames. One of the most interesting parts of the museum is the showcase, whichcontains female busts made of terra cotta, and it’s interesting in terms ofshowing the hair styles of women from the Archaic Period until today. Andin the ethnography section; silver objects, Şarköy kilimsbelonging to the 19th century, various embroidered clothes and jewelry,examples of traditional handicraft “Edirnekari” can be seen.

Arasta Bazaar

It isalso named as “Kavaflar Bazaar” as it is written by EvliyaÇelebi. It is the right address for those who want to shop in an atmospherewhere time stands still.

Bedesten Bazaar

It wasbuilt in 1418 as a lead-covered 14-domed structure with an ornamented wallcovered with two-colour cut stones. Evliya Çelebi writes that the diamonds andjewellery in the bazaar were worth a few Egyptian treasures and that sixtynight guards guarded them. Besides its attractive history and, nowadays it is anice place to go for shopping.

Rüstempaşa Caravanserai

It isbuilt in 1561 by Mimar Sinan and is one of the mostmagnificent caravanserais of classical Ottoman architecture. There are 21 shopson the façade of the building consisting of two-storey rooms arranged around arectangular open courtyard. On the second floor of the Büyük Han section, wherethe large courtyard is located, a typical Turkish bath with floor heating wasbuilt and covered with tiles suitable for the period.

Bridges of Edirne

It is notsurprising that bridges come to mind when talking about Edirne. Surrounded bythe rivers of Arda, Tunca, Meriç and Ergene, the bridges of the city are alsothe witnesses of great historical heritage. Gazimihal (Hamidiye), Uzunköprü,Saraçhane, II. Bayezit, Fatih (Bönce), Yıldırım, Saray, Yalnızgöz (Tekgöz),Tunca and Meriç (Mecidiye) bridges must be seen during a visit to Edirne.

Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum

In therooms around the courtyard of the museum located in the Dar-ül Tedris Madrasaof the Selimiye Complex, there are items belonging to the monasteries,wrestlers, weapons, wooden artefacts, Ottoman tiles and ceramics.

Also see in Edirne

• Ali Paşa Bazaar
• Üç Şerefeli Mosque
• Sokollu, Tahtakale, Mezit Bey, Beylerbeyi and Gazi Mihal hamams
• Ahmet Paşa Caravanserai
• The Kırkpınar Oil Wrestling Festival
• Yıldırım Bayezit Mosque
• Muradiye Mosque
• Bayezit Complex
• Sweti Georgi Church
• Konstantin-Helena Church
• Edirne Synagogue
• Italian Catholic Church
• Enez Ancient City