Edirne - "Thrace" in Greek mythology

It would take years to see all the wonders of Türkiye. But what if you only have a week? The ancient capital of Edirne should be on your short list.

The city has witnessed 16 battles and the rise and fall of four empires in its 1,900-year history. That speaks volumes about the importance of this ancient metropolis.

A corner of Selimiye Mosque.

Cultural sediments

Edirne is located in northeastern Türkiye, in the land known in Greek mythology as “Thrace”. The city lies at the confluence of three rivers: the Tundzha, Maritsa, and Arda.

Edirne is more than 200km from Istanbul, located near the borders of Türkiye, Greece and Bulgaria, so most visitors choose to fly to Istanbul airport or Sofia airport (Bulgaria) and then take a bus to Edirne. A few who like to sightsee buy a train ticket, in which the train from Villach (Austria) to Edirne lasts 33 hours, famous for the sights it passes.

Edirne is among the Turkish cities with the most mosques. The most famous is the Selimiye Mosque, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2011.

Selimiye Mosque was designed by the master of architecture Mimar Sinan (1488 - 1588) and is famous for its four graceful minarets, which are also the symbol of Edirne. Under the great dome of the Mosque is the inner sanctum decorated with tiles and calligraphy paintings on the walls. Thanks to the 999 open windows, the inside of the Mosque is always bright, and the decorations on the walls and floors look extremely lively. Outside of prayer hours, Selimiye Mosque is open to everyone free of charge.

The history of Edirne began in 125 AD, when Emperor Hadrian ordered the construction of the city of Hadrianopolis. Today, only a few vestiges remain in Edirne from the time when the city was still called Hadrianopolis, such as the Makedonya Kulesi ruins, a fortress built under Hadrian in the 2nd century to guard the route in and out of Macedonia.

Because of its strategic value, it has witnessed many fierce battles. However, an earthquake in 1953 destroyed almost the entire fortress, leaving only a watchtower and a section of the wall. Next to the site is a museum displaying artifacts related to the history of the fortress.

The Makedonya Kulesi ruins are located not far from Edirne’s old town, also known as Kaleiçi, meaning “inner city”. This name comes from the time when Edirne was a small walled city. Kaleiçi burned down in a fire in the 19th century and was completely rebuilt. All of Kaleiçi’s beautiful wooden houses were built during the reconstruction. Only a few buildings survived the fire, such as the Sokullu Mehmet Paşa Hamamı public bath. This building is another work of Mimar Sinan and is still open to visitors.

Home of festivals

There are two bazaars in Edirne that visitors should not miss. The first is the Arasta Bazaar, located right next to the Selimiye Mosque. The second is the Ali Pasha Bazaar, located on the pedestrianized Saraçlar Street. Edirne is a major commercial center in Southern Europe, and market-goers will easily find a wide variety of goods from Türkiye, Greece, and the Balkans.

However, the most popular items among tourists are still local products. These include beautiful brooms that were originally bought by locals as dowries for their daughters and now become famous decorative furniture, or fruit-scented soap bars packaged in the shape of bananas, apples, etc.

Pork and lamb liver dishes are Edirne specialties. Instead of kebab carts, Edirne has carts selling fried liver served with bread and ayran (a traditional yogurt drink). Fried liver is so popular that the city government organizes a Fried Liver and Music Festival at the end of April every year.

Edirne has a long tradition of military music, and during the festival, musical groups from Southern European countries perform almost constantly on the streets of Edirne. Then, on the last day of the festival, the city throws a liver fritter on Saraçlar Street, giving away over a ton of fried liver for free in a single day. At the 2018 festival, local chefs set a Guinness World Record by frying 600kg of lamb liver in a giant pan.

Edirne is also home to the traditional yağlı güreş wrestling. The special thing is that the two wrestlers have to rub olive oil all over their bodies before competing. A match can last up to 40 minutes and has a bit of a humorous feel rather than just a simple sports competition, so more and more foreigners choose to practice yağlı güreş. The biggest yağlı güreş wrestling tournament of the year is held at the Kırkpınar Stadium, Edirne, at the end of June every year.

If you want to spend your summer vacation in Edirne, you should visit the city in early May when the two festivals Hıdırellez and Kakava take place.

Hıdırellez is a Muslim festival, Kakava is a Roma festival. The two festivals have merged over time and are now considered the opening festival of spring. During the two festivals, local and international artists perform songs, dances and music throughout the streets, especially on the banks of the Tundzha River, where many rose trees are planted (Hıdırellez is associated with a legend related to the rose tree). In the evening, people light large bonfires, which, according to Roma beliefs, is a way to welcome spring. It is estimated that every year about 10,000 foreign visitors come to Edirne to participate in the two festivals Hıdırellez and Kakava.

Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/edirne-xu-thrace-trong-than-thoai-hy-lap-698798.html