EDİRNE

“Where Europe meets

Turkey…”
 Edirne is situated in Thrace
in Turkey's Marmara Region.

The topography consists of

plains and rolling hills with an
average elevation of 41 meters
above sea level.

Edirne is a border city. It has two

borders which open to Bulgaria
and Greece. Both are 15 minutes
away. It is quite common to see
Greek and Bulgarian people
shopping dining or visiting the
town.
Historical Heritage
 Edirne has a rich historical heritage due to its location
between Europe and Asian Anatolia.
 It has been a center of education and culture both during
the Ottoman period and since the foundation of the
Republic.
 Architectural treasures include the walls and towers from
the Edirne Castle built by Roman Emperor Hadrianus,
and the famous Selimiye Mosque from the Ottoman
period.
 The Meriç river forms a natural border
between Greece and Turkey
The river
Selimiye Mosque
 One of the most important monuments in this
ancient province is the Selimiye Mosque built
in the 16th century by the Turkey's greatest
architect, Mimar Sinan. Carrying the name of
the sultan reigning in that era, this mosque
magnificently represents Turkish marble
handicrafts and architecture, and it is covered
with valuable tiles and fine paintings.
The Others….
 The Yıldırım Mosque and the Eski Mosque,
dating back to the 14th and 15th centuries
respectively, are other spectacular sights while
the Muradiye Mosque and the Üç Serefeli
Mosque are also among the oldest and most
impressive buildings. Last to be mentioned is
the Beyazit II Mosque, a great monument with
its complex construction comprising many
facilities used in those times.
Bayezid II Complex
Bayezid II Complex
Üç Serefeli Mosque and the Hamam (Turkish Bath)
 Lozan Monument
 Lozan Monument, Square and Museum were built
on the Karaagaç Campus in accordance with the
proposal of the Rector Osman Inci, to
commemorate the Lozan Treaty which set
boundaries of the Turkish Republic. In accordance
with the Mondoros Treaty signed on 30th October,
1918 the border of Trakya was Meriç River;
Karaagaç district and the right banks side of Meriç
River remained in the Greek area.
KIRKPINAR
 Allah Allah illalah
May we prosper
Our patron is Hamza the wrestler
Our ancestors were wrestlers
Two valiant men take the field
One blond one dark
Both seek the prize
Do not despair when down
Do not boast when uppermost
When above do not let go
Meet leg trip with leg trip
Send a prayer to Muhammed
I hastened to the spring
May God be with both of you.
 For 648 years the celebrated Kırkpınar oil
wrestling tournament has commenced with this
chant. The master of the festival, known as the
cazgir, recites a prayer for the wrestlers. Then the
drums zurna (a wind instrument with a double
reed) begin to play, hundreds of wrestlers bow in
salute, and the first pairs lock in combat on the
green meadow.
 There are several versions of the story about how the
Kırkpınar wrestling tournament began, the best known
relating how Sultan Murad I’s general Süleyman Paşa
crossed the Dardanelles with a vanguard of forty
warriors on two rafts, and commenced the march
through Thrace. At every halt the men engaged in
wrestling bouts as a way of forgetting the hardships of
the journey. One day when they reached a meadow at
Ahırköy near Edirne they began wrestling as usual. As
the sun set only two wrestlers remained, neither able
to inflict defeat on the other. They continued to
wrestle into the night until finally both collapsed and
died of exhaustion. They were buried where they fell,
and the next day a spring of crystal clear water
appeared on the spot.
 Thismeadow was there after
known as Kırkpınar or the Forty
Springs in memory of the first
Turkish warriors to set foot on
European soil.
 The Bazaars
 The lively bazaars of “Ali Paşa Bazaar”,
"Bedesten" and "Arasta" make the province
colorful and bring back the ancient times.
Arasta Bazaar
Bedesten Bazaar
Bedesten Bazaar
Ali Pasa Bazaar
Selimiye Mosque
Old Train Station
 Beautiful city by the river…