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Selimiye Mosque, Edirne

Mimar Sinan Caddesi, Meydan, Edirne

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

Meta review

Being listed as a UNESCO WHS and featured in all travel magazines brings in a lot of visitors and raises expectations. There isn't really any negative feedback, other than the presence of pushy sellers around the entrance, and most online reviewers state that they have really enjoyed the architecture of the monument.

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

Included Items
None
Timing
Duration of visit
Closed for visits during prayer times

av. transport time:2h

est. visit time:1h 15m

Regulated hours

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

Pricing
Donations are welcome
Free

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