Edirne is a historic city in northwestern Turkey, situated at the confluence of the Tunca and Meriç rivers near the borders with Greece and Bulgaria. Once the Ottoman capital known as Adrianople, Edirne served as the empire's most important city from 1369 to 1453 before Mehmed II conquered Constantinople. Today the city is celebrated for the UNESCO-listed Selimiye Mosque — architect Mimar Sinan's acknowledged masterpiece — alongside a remarkable cluster of Ottoman mosques, bazaars, and palace ruins. Edirne hosts the Kırkpınar Oil Wrestling Festival, one of the world's oldest sporting events, held annually for over 660 years at the riverside Sarayiçi grounds.
Edirne sits on one of history's most contested crossroads. Originally a Thracian settlement, it was refounded as Hadrianopolis (Adrianople) by the Roman Emperor Hadrian in 125 AD. The city became famous for the Battle of Adrianople in 378 AD, when the Visigoths defeated and killed Emperor Valens — a watershed in the decline of the Western Roman Empire. Under the Byzantines, it was a major provincial city and military base. In 1369, the Ottomans under Murad I captured the city and made it their capital, a role it held until Mehmed II conquered Constantinople in 1453. During the Ottoman capital era, successive sultans built the magnificent mosques and complexes that define the city today.
Historical timeline
Key moments that shaped Edirne.
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1
Roman Emperor Hadrian refounds the settlement as Hadrianopolis
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2
Battle of Adrianople — Visigoths defeat and kill Emperor Valens; watershed of Late Antiquity
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3
Battle of Adrianople — Bulgarians defeat Latin Emperor Baldwin I in the Fourth Crusade aftermath
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4
Ottoman Sultan Murad I captures Adrianople; city renamed Edirne and becomes Ottoman capital
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5
Eski Cami (Old Mosque) completed — the oldest mosque in Edirne
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6
Üç Şerefeli Mosque completed
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7
Mehmed II conquers Constantinople; Edirne loses capital status but remains imperial
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8
Beyazıt II Complex completed — includes the world's first psychiatric hospital treating with music
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9
Selimiye Mosque completed — Mimar Sinan's acknowledged masterpiece; UNESCO-listed
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10
Treaty of Adrianople ends Russo-Turkish War; Russia gains major concessions
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11
Russo-Turkish War; Bulgaria briefly occupies Edirne
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12
First Balkan War — Bulgaria captures Edirne; Ottoman counter-offensive retakes it in the same year
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13
Treaty of Lausanne establishes modern Turkish borders; Edirne confirmed as Turkish city
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14
Selimiye Mosque and its külliye inscribed on UNESCO World Heritage List
Historical eras
The chapters of Edirne's past.
Historical sites
Places where Edirne's past comes alive.
Museums
Curated collections that tell Edirne's story.
Edirne Archaeological and Ethnographic Museum
Admission: 150 TRY (~$4.50 USD); Müze Kart accepted
Museum of Health (Beyazıt II Complex)
Admission: 200 TRY (~$6 USD); Müze Kart accepted
Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art (Eski Cami)
Admission: Included with Archaeological Museum ticket
Historical tours
Guided experiences that bring history to life.