Weekend Getaway: Edirne

With the Children’s and Youth holiday coming up on 23 April and warmer weather upon us, many of you may be wondering where to go for a nice weekend or just a day trip. One place that can provide a welcome respite from the hustle and bustle of Istanbul is the former Ottoman imperial capital of Edirne.

Edirne, which served as the Ottoman capital before Istanbul (from 1365 to 1453) is about a two-hour bus ride west of Istanbul. Easily accessible, the city has wonderful historical treasures, scenic landscapes, and its own particular brand of Turkish food to satisfy the curious and adventurous traveler.

In addition to being the former capital of the Ottoman Empire, Edirne (which was formerly known as Adrianopolis) is located close to the borders of three modern states: Greece, Bulgaria and Turkey. Positioned in an area known for being the crossroads of various cultures, Edirne has been the site of numerous battles over the centuries. Likewise, Edirne had a significant Christian and Jewish population during Ottoman times and to this day contains remnants of its multicultural past. A synagogue near the city’s main stadium and a church located in the Roma section of town are part of this historical legacy.

The easiest way to get to Edirne is by bus. The main bus station in Istanbul is the Esenler/Bayrampaşa Otogar, which has a multitude of salesmen selling tickets to destinations all over Turkey. For my trip to Edirne, I used Metro Turizm, which has frequent departure times for Edirne and is reasonably priced (about 50 TL for a roundtrip ticket). On board, the service is quite helpful; they provide you with a free beverage, even tea or coffee, and a small snack. Within two hours of leaving the Istanbul Otogar, you should arrive at the Edirne Otogar, which is about a 15 minute bus ride outside the city center. Once you reach the city center, you can easily get around Edirne, which has a population slightly over 100,000, by minibus, bus or on foot.

So you’ve arrived in a city which seems the complete opposite of Istanbul in terms of its tranquility, green landscapes, and emptiness. What is there to see and experience? My recommendations include visiting the Selimiye Mosque, the Beyazid II Külliye Health Museum, the Balkan Wars Museum, along with walking along the old stone bridges of Karaağac, and partaking of the wonderful Trakya ciğer (liver) of Ciğerci Niyazi Usta.

Architecture is a wonderful reflection of a culture’s artistic legacy and, in that way, the outstanding architecture of Edirne showcases some of the best aspects of Ottoman culture. Mimar Sinan, a contemporary of Leonardo Da Vinci, is the person most responsible for making Ottoman architecture known worldwide. As the architect of the Süleymaniye Mosque complex in Istanbul, he is revered in Turkey. One of his major achievements was the construction of the Selimiye Mosque in Edirne. The mosque, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site, has wonderful gardens that you can sit in to relax, read a book, and admire the magnificent achievement of Mimar Sinan.

To further explore Edirne’s rich archaeological heritage, make sure you walk from the Selimiye Mosque to the nearby Macedonian Tower, which has been around since Roman times and previously served as a clock tower. Just next to the tower, you can see the continuing archaeological excavation, which is a testament to the rich historical legacy of the city.

After seeing a few sites in the city, I recommend paying a visit to Alipaşa Bazaar, the Grand Bazaar of Edirne, which is much smaller of course. Once you’ve finished shopping, take the exit in the middle of the Bazaar, called the Ortakapı Exit,  and you will see streets full of restaurants. It’s the perfect place to relax and get a taste of traditional Thracian food (Edirne is located in the region often referred to as Thrace). I recommend Ciğerci Niyazi Usta, near a wonderful collection of old wooden houses, for a portion of ciğer (liver) and an ayran. The ciğer comes with a spicy pepper and some vegetables – the cold ayran works as a nice antidote to the dish’s spice.

Now that you’ve had some food and a bit of a rest, I suggest making your way to the highest point of the city, which is easily walkable, for the Şükrü Pasha Memorial and Balkan Wars Museum. The museum showcases the importance of Edirne and the surrounding area during the Balkan Wars of the early 20th century. Outside the museum, a memorial honors Şükrü Pasha, who was one of the leading Ottoman military leaders at the time of the Balkan Wars. The memorial and museum are mainly aimed at Turkish visitors and have little information in English, but there are plenty of visuals and artifacts from the wars to satisfy the history or military buff.

To experience Edirne as it must have been during the Ottoman period, there’s nothing like a visit to the Beyazid II Külliye Health Museum, which is located south of the city. The site has been wonderfully restored with helpful exhibitions in Turkish and English to explain how doctors treated patients and their use of music therapy. It is amazing to think that patients were treated for free by Ottoman doctors in this very facility. The site deserves an hour for walking around, exploring, and getting a taste of medical treatment and technology during the Ottoman Empire.

Before heading home, I recommend walking directly south from the city center to the area of Edirne known as Karaağaç (Black Tree). While here, you can walk along and take photos of Ottoman stone bridges which are more prevalent in the Thracian region of Turkey. I stopped along the way to have a tea and enjoy the view of the lovely scenery. For me, this part of Edirne reflects its Balkan heritage, with the countryside and buildings resembling something you would see in Bulgaria and northern Greece.

For your friends who are wondering what there is to see in Edirne, don’t forget to buy a fruit soap basket, broom replicas with the nazar boncuğu (evil eye) and some wonderful almond cookies from the famous Keçecizade Patisserie located near the Alipaşa Bazaar. Hopefully these mementos will make your friends curious about the often neglected but rewarding city of Edirne.