Things to see and do Edirne ())

A pleasant walk through Saraçhane, Horozlu Bayır and Imaret avenues leads to the Tunca River and the 15th-century religious center of Beyazıt, which originally grouped, around its mosque flanked by four minarets, a medical school, a lunatic asylum, a travelers' hostel as well as a medersa. The complex, completed in 1488 by the architect Hayrettin, represents the largest and most complete monument in the city. The style of the mosque borrows from the Three Galleries Mosque (Üç Şerefeli) and the Selimiye Mosque. The interior, meanwhile, is reminiscent of the Yeşil Camii in Bursa and houses the imperial lodge. Preceded by a traditional ablutions courtyard, the prayer hall is topped by a large dome 20 m in diameter, resting on the walls. Two buildings have been nicely renovated into a museum: the hospital and the medical school. They house the Health Museum (Sağlık Müzesi) attached to Trakya University, the first of its kind in Turkey. The place, dedicated to the history of Arab medicine, presents the sometimes original treatments and protocols that were implemented there until 1909. Musicology, for example, was used to treat madness. Mannequins dressed as doctors and patients show the procedures of the time. And explanatory panels enhance the visit. Around the building, gardens offer a welcome break. Don't hesitate to discover the surgical tools room.

It is, without question, the most beautiful building in Edirne. And it is the work of the brilliant architect Mimar Koca Sinan, to whom we also owe the imposing mosque of Soliman the Magnificent (Süleymaniye Camii) in Istanbul. The Selimiye Camii, a magnificent imperial religious building, was built on the highest point of the city, between 1569 and 1575, by order of Sultan Selim II. This square mosque sits at the center of a remarkable architectural and social complex (külliye) with schools and stores. Its single main dome of 31 m in diameter (slightly larger than that of the Hagia Sophia Basilica in Istanbul) creates a bright and airy prayer space. Eight pillars, buttresses and several arches support the 48-ton dome. The four minarets of 71 m direct the building towards the sky and give it an enchanting silhouette that dominates the ancient Ottoman city. The interior adorned with Iznik earthenware testifies to the heyday of this craft. Behind, in the garden, we see Ottoman steles in line. Originally, the Selimiye Mosque was surrounded by a series of buildings housing several Koranic schools and libraries. Today, the Koranic school (medersa) is a museum of Turkish and Islamic art. The ensemble is considered the most harmonious expression of the Ottoman külliye. Also, in 2011, the mosque and the surrounding architectural ensemble were listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.