• Get around
• See
• Do
• Buy
• Eat
• Drink
• Sleep
• Stay safe
• Contact
• Get out

Edirne (pronounced eh-deer-neh) is a city in Eastern Thrace, in northwest Turkey.

[edit] Understand

This city can be your first or last destination in Turkey, depening on the direction of your itinenary, as it’s located on an intersection where borders of three countries meet: Turkey, Greece, and Bulgaria.

Edirne’s former name is Adrianople, i.e. “City of Hadrianus”, named after the Roman emperor who founded the city on the site of Thracian village of Uskudama. Edirne was once Europe’s fourth biggest city (in 1600s). It also served Ottoman Empire as its capital city before Constantinople was captured. All these make up for city’s historical outlook, from huge Ottoman imperial complexes to neo-classical architecture of downtown shops, although at first sight, all you’ll see will be concrete apartment blocks when entering the city (and Selimiye Mosque right straight of you).

[edit] Climate

Temperate continental – hot and occasionally rainy (as showers which tend to last for 15-20 minutes) summers (expect up to 40º C); cold and rainy, occasionally snowy winters (expect down to -10º C). Spring and autumn months tend to be warmer than the locations on the sea coast (such as Istanbul), but winter arrives earlier (in November). Because Edirne lies in a geography that is the entering point of many weather systems from Balkans (Southeastern Europe) into Turkey, a good way of forecasting the weather conditions for the next few days is to follow what other Balkan cities such as Plovdiv, Bulgaria is currently experiencing, as quite the same conditions will be what Edirne is experiencing within a two or three days time.

[edit] Get in

[edit] by bus

Easiest way to reach to Edirne is by bus from Istanbul. Departures are at any time with a fare of some 10 euros and a trip of two hours.Bus station in Edirne is located out of the city but free service midibuses will take you to the city center.

[edit] by train

There is a daily train from Istanbul’s Sirkeci station (which departs at about 16 (4 pm) and arrives in Edirne about four hours later). Trains from Europe to Istanbul also call at the city station.

[edit] by car

The city is located on the main highways linking Turkey and Europe (road numbers: toll-free D100 and toll-road/motorway O-3/E80). A drive takes no more than two hours from Istanbul to Edirne on the motorway, even less if you drive very fast. The main European-Turkish border post Kapikule/Kapitan Andreevo (between Turkey and Bulgaria, SE of Svilengrad) is about 15-20 km away from the city, while less significant Pazarkule border post (between Turkey and Greece, north of Orestiada) is even nearer.

[edit] Get around

Almost entirety of Edirne is in walking distance.However for some relatively distant places you may take taxi which will cost only a few euros.

The main public minibus stop for destinations inside the city is located in the street just behind the Üç Şerefeli (Three Minaret) Mosque.

[edit] See

• Selimiye Mosque - that mosque which dominates the skyline of the city. A grandiose piece of art by Sinan, the Ottoman architect of 16th century. Sinan himself considered this building as his best work. The dome of the building had the largest diameter of all domes in the world for several centuries. If you have admired Blue Mosque (Sultanahmet Mosque) of Istanbul, you’ll sure adore this one, since Blue Mosque is quite a copy of Selimiye. Free admission
• Arasta – This is one of the covered bazaars of Edirne. Near Selimiye.
• Old Mosque (Eski Cami)
• Üç Şerefeli (Three Minaret) Mosque - This downtown mosque is also easily recognizable by not only its dinstiction of having three minarets (towers) which is not very common in Islamic world (one, two, and four towers are most common), but also by the uniqueness of its towers that all three have different designs/motives decorated on. Free admission
• Muradiye Mosque
• Beyazit Complex
• Medical Museum (Sağlık Müzesi)– This museum, which was awarded “European Museum of the Year” in early 2000s, was essentially a mental institution used during Ottoman times. It was notable for its “progressive”/”alternative” approach towards its patients. Instead of locking them into cells with shackles, which was widespread during that time, methods such as meditative music or flower gardens were tried in this institution.
• Balkan Wars Martyrdom (Balkan Savaşları Şehitliği) – On the highest hill of the city, next to the city cemetery. The hill gives a nice view of the city and the forests surrounding the rivers behind. Free admission
• Museum of Archeology
• Museum of Islamic Arts
• Justice Court (Adalet Kasrı) - former Ottoman imperial residence before the dynasty moved to Istanbul in 15th century. Unused for nearly five centuries, there is only one tower of it left, fortunately in an intact state. It’s located in the outskirts of the city, near a river (Tundza probably). Also Kırkpınar Pasture where oil-wrestling competitions take place every year is nearby.
• Old Bridges
• Karaağaç Quarter (pronounced kaa-rraa-ah-ach) - Although very quiet now, it used to be main nightlife spot of the city in the past. You’ll pass on two old and very long bridges (on Tundza (tr.:Tunca) and Maritsa (tr.:Meriç) rivers respectively, Maritsa bridge is gloriously longer as the riverbed is gloriously larger) and a cobbled road going through a forest of centuries-old trees on the way to Karaağaç from downtown. While you are in Karaağaç, don’t forget to take a look at the historical building of Presidency of Trakya University (Rektörlük), which served as the main train station of the city for years. Also you can check out the Lausanne Monument (a modern art monument which consist of three poles which symbolize Turkish motherland: the longest one symbolizes Anatolia, or Asian Turkey, the middle-sized symbolizes Eastern Thrace, while the shortest symbolizes Karaağaç itself, being the only Turkish soil west of Maritsa River, in other words west of Eastern Thrace) and the open air sculpture exhibition in the Presidency’s yard, which contains marble statues chipped in situ by sculptors from countries neighbouring Turkey.

[edit] Do

• Watch an oil-wrestling (yağlı güreş) competition, the national sport of Turks (although surpassed a little by soccer lately), which takes place in Kırkpınar Pasture in the outskirts of the city every year (although dates vary year to year, it always takes place in late spring or early summer, such months as May, June or July). This is the most prestigous wrestling tournament in Turkey and the winner is titled başpehlivan (“chief of all wrestlers”) of the year.

[edit] Buy

Edirne is famous for its fruit-shaped soaps. They are not used for cleaning (although they can clean as well as other soaps do) but for decoration. Within the first months you put them into a room, they also work as natural air fresheners by releasing their fragrances.

[edit] Eat

• Liver (ciğer) - a definitely must-try for non-vegetarians. It is prepared in a unique local way (whole pieces, not puree, of liver are fried inside a cauldron full of boiling vegetable oil) and served with an infernally hot dried pepper. If you are one of those who don’t like liver because of its distinct smell, you can be pretty sure you won’t sense it in Edirne liver. Best to be eaten with ayran, a salty yogurt drink ‘coz it’s one of two things (the other is bread, which fortunately is served free of charge at liver restaurants) that can suppress the fire the dried pepper leaves on your palate. There are lots of liver-only restaurants (ciğerci) in downtown, especially in the street behind the Üç Şerefeli (Three Minaret) Mosque. They also order other meals from nearby restaurants for those who are with you and do not want to eat liver.
• Almond puree (badem ezmesi) – a local, soft cookie-like dessert which is made of bitter almond.

[edit] Drink

Compared with most cities of its size in Turkey, Edirne is full of birahanes (pubs) and restaurants that serve alcohol. There are some particuarly nice ones by the river on the road to Karaagac.

[edit] Sleep

[edit] Stay safe

Avoid hanging around the banks of Tundza and Maritsa Rivers and Karaağaç before/during/after a heavy rainfall, especially in wintertime. Although the downtown is never effected, these areas tend to have a heavy flood during such a time (last one happened in 2006), mainly because of overflowing of dams located upriver in Bulgaria. So if you are in Edirne in winter and plan to visit the aforementioned locations (which you should), stay ahead of weather forecasts. If you see a water rise in the river, be suspicious, call and inform police (telephone number: 155), and quickly go to somewhere far from and higher than riverbed as much as possible. The buildings themselves in Karaağaç are rarely or lightly effected, but the problem is that the quarter is cut off from the rest of the world as the bridges which connect it to downtown Edirne sink underwater. If you are trapped in such a situation, be sure about your distance to the river and wait for evacuation crews. Because effected areas are generally same in each flood, they are quick to respond with their boats and gear.

[edit] Contact

City’s telephone code is 284 (+90 284 when calling from out of Turkey).

[edit] Get out

• Enez on the shore of Aegean Sea is a popular town among the Edirneans to spend the summer.
• Tekirdağ to the south on the coast of the Sea of Marmara, then on to Istanbul if you have just arrived in Turkey from Europe.
• Or taking a more southernly route towards Canakkale via Gallipoli and from there on to Aegean Turkey.