As one of the important places of historical times, Edirne offers many beautiful things for visitors. Having been the capital of the Ottoman Empire for years, it borders on Greece and Bulgaria. Established on a large plain area, Edirne ranked at one time as one of the seven largest cities of Europe.
Thanks to its “capital of Ottoman” title, Edirne has many historical spots, especially mosques, churches, and synagogues, all of which are visited often. Mastership works of Sinan the architect are also in Edirne. Our cultural values in this city include:
- Edirne Palace
- Social Complexes (Beyazıt II and Selimiye Social Complex)
- Covered Bazaars (Selimiye Bazaar, Bedesten, and Alipaşa)
- Mosques (Eski Mosque, Selimiye Mosque, Üç Şerefeli Camii, Dar-ül Hadis Mosque)
Edirne has many historical spots, especially mosques, churches, and synagogues. Selimiye Mosque is one of them.
Edirne Palace is one of the places that reflect history in the best way. However, there is only Adalet Palace left to carry the history of Ottoman today. Restoration works are going on in the other sections. The kitchen of the palace was also restored after much effort and now it is presented as a museum.
As one of the centers of tile and ceramics at the time, Edirne is also highly developed in handicrafts. These handicrafts continue, as does wood engraving, and all of these arts are still cherished.
Women dancing in Hıdrellez
There are monuments that reveal to visitors historical secrets and they exist in every county of Edirne. One of these counties is Lalapaşa. You can visit there if you want to sight-see mausoleum temples that belong to the Paleolithic Age. These areas used for worship were named Ulutaş. They are unique in the world in terms of nature. Many tourists visit Keşan County thanks to the active fairs and the Hıdrellez Festival. There is an annual wrestling festival called Kırkpınar Oil Wrestling Festival, held since 1357.
Drawing attention with a mosque and its stone bridge, Keşan attracts tourists, some of whom also stop by Uzunkum Beach as well. Süloğlu county has one of the most beautiful picnic areas and Uzunköprü county, which hosts Ergene Bridge at its border, has managed to add the most important mosques and Turkish baths to its tourism guide.
Two oil wrestler wrestling in Kirkpinar.
Cuisine
The most famous dishes of Edirne are Edirne fried liver and satır meat. Prioritizing dishes with meat, Edirne people have meals from different cultures as well. Edirne’s rich culture blended with these other cultures is reflected on the dishes of the province. Among the most renowned foods of Edirne are Rumelia musakka, Hünkar beğendi, meatballs with lemon sauce, egg with onion, eggplants with minced meat, mamzana, apple stuffing, spinach patty, saffron and rice dessert, kandilli Turkish ravioli, baklava with almond, and gerdan dessert.
The city is also famous with fried liver, and marzipan. Tourists even travel to Edirne for one day to taste those delicacies.
How to Get There
Transportation to the city is quite easy because it is located on the large highways that link the region to the Aegean, Anatolian, and Marmara regions. It is also possible to travel to Bulgaria using both highway and railway, traveling through the Kapıkule Border Gate. People who want to visit Edirne can choose highway, railway, or airway options.