Through a turbulent history, Edirne has stood witness to many battles and conquests. The fortress defended Constantinople and Thrace in many wars. The bloodiest war was the conquest of Roman Valens by the Visigoths. The city has also seen settlements by the Russians and Bulgarians.
Edirne is a treasure trove of many ancient day architectural marvels. The remnants of history offer a glimpse into the prosperous days of ancient rulers. The most symbolic monument of Edirne is the Selimiye Mosque, built by the veteran architect Mimar Sinan. The decorations of the structure are elaborate and the minarets stand as high as 70 m. It is an exquisite work of marble. The other prominent mosques with architectural and historical significance are Yildirim, Eski, Muradiye, Serefeli and Beyazit II.
The Edirne Palace is another grand structure symbolizing the proud reign of Sultan Murat II. The travelers’ inns of historical Edirne are also worth visiting. The prominent examples are Rustem Pasha and Ekmekcioglu Ahmet Pasha caravansaries. The city of Edirne is strewn with many old bridges that stand till date with their ancient charm. The Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum and Archeological museum are also good options for taking a broad view of Edirne’s historical wealth.
A general sense of gaiety is common in Edirne. Every year in June the city holds a festival called Kirkpinar. This sporting festival is the oldest organized sporting event known. The festival celebrates the traditional sport of Edirne, namely oil wrestling.
The courtyard is very large. Sinan may have planned to include more buildings in it.Here, Sinan attempted to apply the Rustem Pasa plan on a monumental scale (the dome has a diameter of 3l.22 m and a height of 42.25 m), with the addition of a protruding mihrab, producing the most acclaimed work in Ottoman architecture. The single dome covers the whole depth of the mosque while the salient mihrab and lateral spaces add an extra perspective. The span lengths are reduced due to the greater number of piers causing the dome to appear more elevated and dominant than in the case of domes supported by square structures, where the arches and their windowed intermediary walls are indeed at least as large, and thereFore as impressive as the dome itself. The dome of the Selimiye covers some 30% of Che mosque's floor surface (2000 m2). In the Sehzade and the Suleymaniye, this ratio is 17%. In terms of general space perception on the other hand, the Selimiye reaches a value slightly below that of The Sehzade.»
