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Edirne has a small collection of historic Ottoman bridges. They span the Tunca (Tundzha) and Meriç (Maritsa or Evros) Rivers outside the historic city center. This entry covers a few of those bridges.
Yalnızgöz Bridge
A pair of Ottoman bridges cross two branches of the Tunca River on the way to the Bayezid II Complex, which is a short walk northwest of the historic city center. The first is the small Yalnızgöz Bridge (Yalnızgöz Köprüsü), which was built in 1567 and designed by Mimar Sinan (1490-1588). Its name translates to Lonely Eye Bridge after its single arch.
Bridge Connection
After crossing the Yalnızgöz Bridge, there’s another bridge connecting it to the Bayezid II Bridge. It’s a multi-arched structure built in 1611 after the ground became impassable during floods. It makes the Yalnızgöz and Bayezid II Bridges look like one uniform structure, but they were actually built in three different centuries.
Looking back towards the city, you can see the minarets of the Selimiye Mosque and the Mosque with Three Balconies towering over the skyline.
Bayezid II Bridge
Next is the Bayezid II Bridge (II. Bayezid Köprüsü). It was built in 1488 along with the Bayezid II Complex by Mimar Hayruddin.
Tunca Bridge
South of the historic city center of Edirne are two more Ottoman bridges. They lead to the suburb of Karaağaç. First is the Tunca Bridge (Tunca Köprüsü), which crosses over the Tunca River. It was built between 1608 and 1613 by Ekmekçizade Ahmed Pasha, a treasurer under Sultan Ahmed I. The official name is the Ekmekçizade Ahmed Pasha Bridge (Ekmekçizade Ahmed Paşa Köprüsü).
The Tunca Bridge was designed by Sedefkar Mehmed Ağa (1540-1617), a student of Mimar Sinan and the architect of the Blue Mosque in Istanbul. Local architect Hacı Şaban assisted in the construction.
The Tunca Bridge is supported by eight arches and contains a small tower in the center. It’s 136.30 meters (447.2 feet) long and 6.9 meters (22.6 feet) wide. It was completely restored between 2007 and 2008.
Meriç Bridge
400 meters past the Tunca Bridge is the Meriç Bridge (Meriç Köprüsü), which crosses the Meriç River. It was commissioned by Sultan Mahmud II in 1832, but because of financial problems, construction didn’t begin until 1842 under Sultan Abdülmecid I. It was completed in 1847.
The Meriç Bridge is supported by 12 arches. It’s 263 meters (863 feet) long and seven meters (23 feet) wide. Its official names is New Bridge (Yeni Köprü). On the Karaağaç side of the bridge are a few other Ottoman landmarks as well as tea gardens and restaurants.
Like the Tunca Bridge, there’s a small tower in the center with a commemorative inscription. The inscription was destroyed by the Greek army during the occupation of Edirne by Greece (1920-1922).
