It easily can be reached by bus from Istanbul within 3 hours. Taking the train to Edirne from Istanbul takes around 4,5 hours.
Things to see in Edirne
Since, Edirne isn't that big you can see most sights in the city center. They can be reached by walking.
Firstly, you should take a look at the Edirne Tourist information. It is located at the Talat Pasa Cd., at the corner to the Maarif Cd., beside the "3.Noter". There you can find not only information about Edirne, but also about whole Turkey.
Just some steps further, is the the Grand Bazaar of Edirne located.
There you can find many things like souvenirs,sweets and clothes. Edirne is famous for it's fruit shaped soaps and it's almond sweets.
After visiting the the Baazar, why don't you take a stroll at the main shopping street of Edirne? Or you can try the famous Edirne köfte or liver. Restaurants and snack bars can be easily found everywhere in the city.
The Selimiye mosque was build by the famous architect Mimar Sinan between 1569 and 1575. Unfortunately, Sultan Selim II, who commissioned the mosque could never see the completed work. He died already one year before the finishing, in 1574.
Mimar Sinan, sees the Selimiye mosque as his own masterpiece, and truly, it's one of the highest creations of the Islamic architecture.
The mosque and it's adjoining buildings belong, since 2011, to the UNESCO-World Heritage.
The 4 minarets are 71m high and the diameter of the dome is 31,28m. A part of the famous tiles inside the mosques, were brought to Russia during the Russian occupation of Edirne in 1878.
To the building complex also belong a baazar, a Turkish bath, a medrese, clinic and a grave yard.
The Selimiye mosque's Baazar
Beside the Selimiye mosque is the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art located.
There you can get information about techniques of various crafts and arts.
The entrance fee of the Museum is currently 5 TL and the visiting hours are everyday except Mondays from 9.00-18.30.
Location: Zehrimar Cami Sk, Edirne Center
The Museum's atrium
In my next post amongst other things, I will write about:
The Edirne city Museum
The old mosque
The old macedonian Tower
