Selimiye Mosque, Edirne
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Selimiye Mosque, Edirne - by Nisa Yilmaz on Google
Description
The Selimiye Mosque is one of Turkey's most impressive religious buildings. It is located in Edirne, in the Western part of the Marmara region (close to Bulgaria) and was designed by the famed architect Mimar Sinan in the second half of the 16th century. It is widely considered to be his masterpiece, which is quite a statement considering that he also designed the Blue Mosque and Süleymaniye Mosque in Istanbul. The complex has 4 minarets and a dome with outer diameter of 31m. Its main distinction was to cut out the cascade of load bearing half-domes normally seen in other Ottoman mosques of the time which makes the complex appear as a single unit and gives the interior a spacious volume with clean lines.
Access & Transport
The mosque is located in the center of Edirne, along Miman Sinan Cd. To Istanbul it is a 3h / 250km drive, or a 4h bus or train ride (low frequency).
Instructions & Recommendations
This activity can easily be combined with a visit of the Complex of Bayezid II Health Museum, also located in the city of Edirne
Environmental & Social
No environmental impact and helps preserve the city's architectural heritage
Conclusion
The Selimiye Mosque is the obvious must see in Edirne and we expect few visitors to be disappointed. Whether it is worth a 3-4h trip from Istanbul which is replete with amazing mosques is a different matter... So, we would say it should be included in any regional road trip of Western Marmara but, on its own, doesn't warrant a dedicated trip.
Key positive
Spectacular architecture
Free entrance
Key negative
Time consuming to get to from Istanbul
Suitability
No religious denomination restriction but it is important to dress properly and avoid prayer times. Wheelchair users may need to transfer to the mosque's own equipment before accessing the carpeted areas
About this Rating
TYPE
Desktop
RESEARCHED IN
May 2024
PROVIDER
Koreval
av. transport time:2h
est. visit time:1h 15m
Monday09:00 - 17:00
Tuesday09:00 - 17:00
Wednesday09:00 - 17:00
Thursday09:00 - 17:00
Friday09:00 - 17:00
Saturday09:00 - 17:00
Sunday09:00 - 17:00