Last updated on January 2, 2024.

The centerpiece of Edirne is the UNESCO World Heritage listed Selimiye Mosque (Selimiye Camii). Considered one of the most important architectural achievements in Islam, this mosque can be seen from just about every vantage point in the city.

Selimiye Mosque in Edirne, Turkey
Selimiye Mosque
Selimiye Mosque in Edirne, Turkey
Selimiye Mosque
Selimiye Mosque in Edirne, Turkey
Looking up at the Selimiye Mosque

 

History

The Selimiye Mosque was built between 1568 and 1574 by renowned Ottoman architect Mimar Sinan, who considered it his masterpiece. It was commissioned by Sultan Selim II and was part of a large social complex.

Selimiye Mosque
Selimiye Mosque in Edirne, Turkey
Selimiye Mosque
Selimiye Mosque in Edirne, Turkey
Detail on the exterior
Ablutions fountain on the side of the mosque

 

Minarets

The Selimiye Mosque has four identical minarets on each corner. They stand 83 meters (272 feet) high. The slender minarets draw attention to the central dome.

Selimiye Mosque in Edirne, Turkey
Selimiye Mosque
Minarets of the Selimiye Mosque in Edirne, Turkey
Minarets
Minaret at the Selimiye Mosque in Edirne, Turkey
Minaret

 

Courtyard

A rectangular courtyard sits in front of the mosque. It’s surrounded on all four sides with a domed portico. The area of the courtyard is equal to the area of the prayer hall.

Entrance to the courtyard
Courtyard
Courtyard at the Selimiye Mosque in Edirne, Turkey
View of the mosque from a corner of the courtyard
Courtyard

In the center of the courtyard is a beautiful fountain. The fountain is made of marble and has 12 sides.

Ablutions fountain
Ablutions fountain

The entrance to the prayer hall is on the courtyard. An intricately carved hood tops the entrance portal.

Entrance to the prayer hall
Hood over the entrance portal

 

Prayer Hall

Mimar Sinan made it possible to see the mihrab from anywhere inside the prayer hall. The mosque also has a plain symmetrical interior, which is in contrast to most imperial Ottoman mosques. To allow natural light to enter the mosque, there are 999 windows in total.

Prayer hall at the Selimiye Mosque in Edirne, Turkey
Prayer hall
Balcony
Muezzin’s loge
Fountain under the muezzin’s loge

Normally, the mihrab sits against the wall of the prayer hall. In the Selimiye Mosque, it sits in an alcove and is illuminated by windows on three sides. Both the mihrab and minbar are made of marble.

Mihrab and minbar at the Selimiye Mosque in Edirne, Turkey
Mihrab and minbar

 

Dome

The Selimiye Mosque has one gigantic central dome supported by four half-domes resting on eight massive pillars. Each pillar has 12 sides.

Dome at the Selimiye Mosque in Edirne, Turkey
Dome

The dome is 31.28 meters (102 feet) in diameter and 42.25 meters (140 feet) high. Mimar Sinan claimed the dome was larger than that of Hagia Sophia, but that claim was false.

Prayer hall

The dome was hit by Bulgarian mortars during the Siege of Edirne in 1913 but survived with minor damage. Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (1881-1938), the founder of the Turkish Republic, ordered the dome not to be repaired in order to serve as a warning to future generations.

 

More Photos

Click here for a virtual tour of the mosque. Here are a few more photos:

Looking at the mosque from under the portico in the courtyard
Selimiye Mosque
Exterior of the mosque
Decorative stone medallion in the courtyard

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Owner of Paisadventure. World traveler. Chicago sports lover. Living in Colombia.

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