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The centerpiece of Edirne is the UNESCO World Heritage listed Selimiye Mosque (Selimiye Camii). Considered one of the most important architectural achievements in Islam, it can be seen from just about every vantage point in the city.
Introduction to the Selimiye Mosque
The Selimiye Mosque was built between 1568 and 1575 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.
Selim II had a strong affinity for Edirne and chose to build his imperial mosque there instead of Constantinople (now Istanbul). He served as its governor from 1548 to 1550 and visited frequently as Sultan. It’s also believed that all the most prominent spots in Constantinople were taken, which may have factored in the Sultan’s deciding on Edirne. Unfortunately Selim II died in December 1547 and was unable to see his mosque fully completed. Click here for a virtual tour of the mosque.
Features of the Selimiye Mosque
The Selimiye Mosque has several interesting features, both architectural and aesthetic.
Minarets
The Selimiye Mosque has four identical minarets on each corner. They stand 83 meters (272 feet) high and are among the tallest Ottoman minarets ever built. The slender minarets draw attention to the central dome.
Courtyard
A rectangular courtyard sits in front of the mosque. It’s surrounded on all four sides by a colonnaded portico and accessed via a monumental entrance. The area of the courtyard is equal to the area of the prayer hall, measuring roughly 60 x 44 meters (197 x 144 feet).
In the center of the courtyard is a beautiful ablutions fountain regarded as one of the finest of the period. The fountain is made of marble and has 12 sides.
The portico containing the entrance portal is on the southeast side of the courtyard. It’s significantly taller than the other three porticoes and consists of three wide arches with two smaller arches between them. Marble medallions containing Quranic verses decorate the space above the smaller arches. An intricately carved muqarnas niche tops the entrance portal.
Prayer Hall
The prayer hall measures roughly 60 x 44 meters (197 x 144 feet). It has a plain symmetrical interior which is in contrast to most imperial Ottoman mosques. To allow natural light to enter, there are 999 windows in total.
Mimar Sinan made it possible to see the mihrab from anywhere inside the prayer hall. Normally, the mihrab sits against the back wall of the prayer hall. In the Selimiye Mosque, it sits in an apse and is illuminated by windows on three sides. Both the mihrab and minbar are made of marble.
Directly in front of the minbar is the muezzin’s loge, which is made of wood and supported by 12 arches. Underneath is a fountain for ablutions and drinking water.
Dome
The Selimiye Mosque has one gigantic central dome supported by four half-domes resting on eight massive pillars. It’s 31.28 meters (102 feet) in diameter and 42.25 meters (140 feet) high. Each pillar has 12 sides. Mimar Sinan claimed the dome was larger than that of Hagia Sophia, but that claim was false.
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.
Additional Photos of the Selimiye Mosque
Selimiye Mosque Complex
The Selimiye Mosque was part of a large social complex (külliye). It consisted of several buildings, including a madrasa, Hadith school, primary school, timekeeper’s room, library, and covered market.
Arasta Bazaar
On the west side of the mosque is a long covered market called the Arasta Bazaar (Arasta Çarşısı). The T-shaped market has three entrances. A stairway at the center leads up to the outer courtyard of the mosque.
Inside the Arasta Bazaar you can find several different types of souvenirs including Edirne’s famous fruit-scented soaps. Locals also shop there for clothes and other goods.
Selimiye Madrasa
On the southwest corner behind the mosque is the Selimiye Madrasa (Selimiye Dar’ül Kurra Medresesi). It was used to educate reciters of the Quran. Today, it functions as the Selimiye Foundation Museum.
The madrasa consists of a rectangular courtyard surrounded by porticos on each side. A large domed room on the east side of the courtyard served as the classroom and a small mosque. The rooms to the south and west of the courtyard were cells for students and teachers. There are some excellent views of the Selimiye Mosque from the courtyard as well.
Hadith School
On the southeast corner of the mosque is the Hadith School (Dar’ül Hadis Medresesi). It was completed in 1571 and has functioned as a museum since 1924. The Edirne Archaeology and Ethnography Museum, which is now located across the street, was housed there from 1924 to 1971. Today, it functions as the Edirne Turkish and Islamic Art Museum. The Hadith School has a plan similar to the madrasa, but the classroom and small mosque is on the west side. The courtyard provides some good views of the Selimiye Mosque as well.
Tombs
Directly behind the mosque between the two madrasas is an open space that contains a few Ottoman tombs. The tombs aren’t marked so I’m not sure who they belong to.
Saray Hamam
North of the Selimiye Mosque is the Saray Hamam (Saray Hamamı), which is the only surviving structure from the first Ottoman palace in Edirne. It was added to the palace in the late 14th century by Sultan Bayezid I.
Although it wasn’t part of the mosque complex, it played an important role during its construction. The hamam was used by construction workers to stay clean. It was in use until the First Balkan War in 1912, then sat empty for nearly a century. The building was restored from 2007 to 2009 and reopened to the public as a hamam once again.
Museums at the Selimiye Mosque
As previously mentioned, there are two museums located at the Selimiye Mosque complex.
Selimiye Foundation Museum
First is the Selimiye Foundation Museum (Selimiye Vakıf Müzesi). It displays artifacts from historic Ottoman mosques in the city and is housed in the Selimiye Madrasa. The museum is open daily except Mondays from 9am to 5pm. Admission is free (as of February 2024). The collection is broken down into seven exhibitions.
Metal Works Room
The first section is the Metal Works Room (Maden Eserler Odası). It displays door knockers, candlesticks, ornamental lanterns, and other items made of metal. The most important items in this collection date back to the 18th and 19th centuries.
Calligraphy Room
The Calligraphy Room (Hat Eserleri Odası) exhibits examples of declarations and certificates written in Arabic script. There are also calligraphy plates written by famous calligraphers.
Wood Works Room
Wooden works of art, including Quran guards, chests, and door guards are exhibited in the Wood Works Room (Ahşap Eserler Odası). Some of these items are inlaid with mother of pearl.
Tile Room
The Tile Room (Çini Eserler Odası) includes original tiles taken from important mosques in Edirne, such as the Selimiye, Muradiye, and Şah Melek Pasha Mosques.
Clocks Room
In the Clocks Room (Saatler Odası), there are examples of clocks from different periods as well as tools used to determine the position of the sun, moon, planets, and stars.
Student Cells
Some rooms are set up to display how students would live and study in the madrasa. Mannequins depict how students would study or eat their meals while living there.
Classroom
In the classroom, which is the biggest room of the madrasa, mannequins exhibit how teachers would instruct students during a Quran course. There are also fine examples of calligraphy and metal works as well as a beautiful chandelier. The classroom doubled as a prayer room.
Porticoes
Finally, as you walk from room to room through the museum, there are information panels under the porticoes. Some panels chronicle the life of Mimar Sinan (1490-1588), the architect of the Selimiye Mosque complex, while others include information about the mosque.
Edirne Turkish and Islamic Art Museum
The Edirne Turkish and Islamic Art Museum (Edirne Türk ve İslam Eserleri Müzesi) is housed in the Hadith School. It displays important works of art as well as some historical and ethnographic items.
The Edirne Turkish and Islamic Art Museum is open daily. Admission is 60₺ (as of November 2023). The collection is broken down into several sections presented in the different rooms of the school. The museum is well-organized and contains some impressive pieces. It’s definitely worth a visit and doesn’t take a lot of time to go through.
Mimar Sinan Room
Visits to the museum start in a room dedicated to Mimar Sinan (1490-1588), the architect of the Selimiye Mosque. It includes a wax figure of Mimar Sinan standing at a table and stroking his beard.
Calligraphy Room
Next is the Calligraphy Room (Hat Eserleri Odası), which displays samples of the finest calligraphy attached to paper, stone, wood, glass, and leather. The oldest works in the room were created by Ottoman calligrapher Sheikh Hamdullah (1436-1520). Sets of writing instruments are also exhibited.
Weapons Rooms
The first of the Weapons Rooms (Silah Odaları) includes swords, daggers, axes, arrows, and other sharp weapons from the 18th and 19th centuries. Helmets and chain mail are also on display.
The second of the Weapons Rooms showcases flintlock rifles and pistols from the 17th and 18th centuries. Many are decorated with precious stones or intricate designs.
Glass and Leather Goods Room
The Glass and Leather Goods Room (Cam ve Deri Eşyalar Odası) displays vases, lamps, pitchers, sherbet glasses, and other items made of glass and crystal. There are also leather goods such as bags and saddlebags.
Woodworks Room
Wooden architectural items, decorations, and tools are exhibited in the Woodworks Room (Ahşap Eserler Odası). Dowry chests, writing desks, and other pieces of furniture are also on display.
Tile and Ceramic Room
The Tile and Ceramic Room (Çini ve Seramik Odası) includes a collection of 19th century Çanakkale ceramics. Iznik and Kütahya tiles from the Şah Melek Pasha and Selimiye Mosques in Edirne are also on display.
Sarayiçi Room
16th and 17th century tiles and ceramic plates excavated from Edirne Palace in 1971 are exhibited in the Sarayiçi Room (Sarayiçi Odası). The ruins of the palace are a short walk from the historic city center.
Islamic Coins Room
The Islamic Coins Room (İslami Sikkeler Odası) features Ottoman coins and banknotes. There’s also a vase containing coins found in March 1992 in the Hamitli Village near Uzunköprü. They date to the reign of Sultans Selim I and Süleyman the Magnificent in the 16th century.
Balkan War Room
A bloodied standard used by the 174th Regiment during the First Balkan War is on display in the Balkan War Room (Balkan Harbi Odası). It symbolizes the liberation of Edirne from Bulgaria. Other items from the war are also in the room.
Weaver’s Room
The Weaver’s Room (Dokumacı Odası) includes an authentic loom and other tools used to transform cotton, wool, or silk into fabric. The loom happens to be the oldest in Thrace and was donated to the museum by the Yaveroğlu family.
Saddler and Shoemaker Room
The Saddler and Shoemaker’s Room (Saraç ve Ayakkabıcı Odası) exhibits tools and items used to make saddles and shoes. They came from one of the last of such shops on Saraçlar Street.
Circumcision Room
The Turkish tradition of circumcision is displayed in the Circumcision Room (Sünnet Odası), which features beautifully embroidered bedding, clothing, jewelry, and carpets.
Kitchen Utensils Room
The Kitchen Utensils Room (Mutfak Eşyaları Odası) includes pots, pans, coffee sets, and other utensils traditionally used in Ottoman kitchens.
Lodge Items Room
The largest room in the Hadith School, the classroom, now functions as the Lodge Items Room (Tekke Eşyaları Odası). When lodges were closed by the government after the foundation of the Turkish Republic, various items such as prayer beads, prayer books, manuscripts, calligraphy, jewelry, clapboards, chisels, and instruments were donated to the museum.
Kırkpınar Room
In the Kırkpınar Room (Kırkpınar Odası), there are photos of famous wrestlers from the Kırkpınar tournament. The tournament has been held annually in Edirne since 1360.
Portico Galleries
Several items are displayed in the porticos as visitors walk from room to room. One interesting is a large inscription featuring the Ottoman coat of arms. Nearby is another inscription that used to depict the Ottoman coat of arms, but was scratched out and reshaped by Greek forces during the occupation of Edirne by Greece (1920-1922).
Courtyard
Finally, in the courtyard of the Edirne Turkish and Islamic Art Museum are tombstones, rare Janissary tombstones, inscriptions from Ottoman structures, food carts, and cannons used during the First Balkan War.
