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The Edirne Archaeology and Ethnography Museum (Edirne Arkeoloji ve Etnografya Müzesi) is one of the most important museums in the city. It’s located a block east of the Selimiye Mosque in Edirne, Turkey.
History
The Edirne Archaeology and Ethnography Museum was founded in 1924 on the orders of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (1881-1938), the founder of the Turkish Republic. It was the first museum in Edirne and was originally housed in the former Hadith School at the Selimiye Mosque (now the Edirne Turkish and Islamic Art Museum). The current building opened to the public on June 13, 1971.
Visiting
The museum is open daily. Admission is 60₺ (as of November 2023). It’s a small museum that features some interesting pieces and doesn’t take long to go through.
Ethnographic Section
The first section is the ethnographic section. It features locally made items used in everyday life, including carpets, embroidery, pottery, wooden chests, and calligraphy plates. An interpretive panel also explains the history and process of making Edirne’s famous fruit soaps.
Traditional regional clothing worn by 19th century brides and grooms is showcased along with bridal dresses from the small town of Kofçaz.
Other displays exhibit Ottoman coffee culture and traditional items used in Turkish hamams. A replica writing room with original wooden furniture, writing utensils, and books is also featured along with an Ottoman mansion.
Archaeological Section
The archaeological section continues in the next room, with prehistoric items, a Thracian funerary stele, and items excavated from the Taşlıcabayır Tumulus outside Kırklareli.
A mock archaeological site displays artifacts excavated from Edirne Fortress and around the Macedonian Tower in the historic city center.
The following room focuses on ancient Greek cultures in and around Edirne. Pottery dating back to the 6th and 7th centuries BC excavated from Ainos (modern Enez), as well as sarcophagi, fragments of statues, and column capitals are all exhibited.
A long corridor leading to the exit features more grave steles and stone carved items, including an inscription from the Adrianople Metropolitan Church and a relief of St. George.
The glass displays contain jewelry and other small items as well as Christian artifacts. Crosses, icons, and representation of the Last Supper made of mother of pearl caught my eye.
Garden
The garden exhibits large items such as column capitals, sarcophagi, and Ottoman tombstones. There’s also a dolmen, which was a monumental stone structure used as a burial chamber.
