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Edirne (, ), formerly known as Adrianople or Hadrianopolis ( Greek: Άδριανούπολις), is a city in Turkey, in the northwestern part of the province of Edirne in Eastern Thrace. Situated from the Greek and from the Bulgarian borders, Edirne was the second capital city of the Ottoman Empire from 1369 to 1453, before Constantinople became its capital. The city is a commercial centre for woven textiles, silks, carpets and agricultural products and has a growing tourism industry. In 2019 its estimated population was 185,408. Edirne has an attractive location on the rivers Meriç and Tunca and has managed to withstand some of the unattractive development that mars the outskirts of many Turkish cities. The town is famous in Turkey for its liver. ''Ciğer tava'' ( breaded and deep-fried liver) is often served with a side of cacık, a dish of diluted
strained yogurt Strained yogurt, Greek yogurt, yogurt cheese, sack yogurt, or kerned yogurt is yogurt that has been strained to remove most of its whey, resulting in a thicker consistency than normal unstrained yogurt, while still preserving the distinctive so ...
with chopped cucumber.


Names and etymology

The city was founded and named after the Roman emperor
Hadrian Hadrian (; la, Caesar Trâiānus Hadriānus ; 24 January 76 – 10 July 138) was Roman emperor from 117 to 138. He was born in Italica (close to modern Santiponce in Spain), a Roman ''municipium'' founded by Italic settlers in Hispania B ...
as ''Hadrianopolis'' ( in English, ; in Greek) on the site of an earlier Thracian settlement named ''Uskudama''. The Ottoman name ''Edrine'' (ادرنه) is derived from the Greek name. The name ''Adrianople'' was used in English until the Turkish adoption of the Latin alphabet in 1928, after which ''Edirne'' became the internationally recognised name. The city's name in other European languages - bg, Одрин, Odrin (),
Romanian Romanian may refer to: *anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Romania **Romanians, an ethnic group **Romanian language, a Romance language ***Romanian dialects, variants of the Romanian language **Romanian cuisine, traditional ...
and rup, Odrina, sq, Edrenë, sl, Odrin, sr, Једрене, Jedrene and hu, Drinápoly - is adapted from either ''Hadrianopolis'' or ''Edirne''.


History

The area around Edirne has been the site of numerous major battles and sieges starting from the days of the Roman Empire. The vagaries of the border region between Asia and Europe gave rise to Edirne's claim to be the most frequently contested spot on earth.


Antiquity

The city was refounded by the Roman Emperor
Hadrian Hadrian (; la, Caesar Trâiānus Hadriānus ; 24 January 76 – 10 July 138) was Roman emperor from 117 to 138. He was born in Italica (close to modern Santiponce in Spain), a Roman ''municipium'' founded by Italic settlers in Hispania B ...
on the site of a previous
Thracian settlement This is a list of ancient cities, towns, villages, and fortresses in and around Thrace and Dacia. A number of these settlements were Dacians, Dacian and Thracian, but some were Celtic, Ancient Greece, Greek, Roman Empire, Roman, Paeonian, or Per ...
known as ''Uskadama'', ''Uskudama'', ''Uskodama'' or ''Uscudama''. Hadrian developed it, adorned it with monuments, and changed its name to ''Hadrianopolis'' (which would later be pronounced ''Adrianopolis'' and
Anglicised Anglicisation is the process by which a place or person becomes influenced by English culture or British culture, or a process of cultural and/or linguistic change in which something non-English becomes English. It can also refer to the influen ...
as ''Adrianople''). Licinius was defeated here by
Constantine I Constantine I ( , ; la, Flavius Valerius Constantinus, ; ; 27 February 22 May 337), also known as Constantine the Great, was Roman emperor from AD 306 to 337, the first one to convert to Christianity. Born in Naissus, Dacia Mediterranea ...
in 324, and Emperor Valens was killed by the Goths here during the Battle of Adrianople in 378.


Medieval and early Ottoman periods

In 813, the city was temporarily seized by
Khan Khan may refer to: *Khan (inn), from Persian, a caravanserai or resting-place for a travelling caravan *Khan (surname), including a list of people with the name *Khan (title), a royal title for a ruler in Mongol and Turkic languages and used by ...
Krum of Bulgaria who moved its inhabitants to the Bulgarian lands north of the Danube. During the period of the Latin Empire of Constantinople, the Crusaders were defeated by the Bulgarian Emperor
Kaloyan Kaloyan or Kalojan, also known as Ioannitsa or Johannitsa ( bg, Калоян, Йоаница; 1170 – October 1207), was emperor or tsar of Second Bulgarian Empire, Bulgaria from 1196 to 1207. He was the younger brother of Peter II of Bulgari ...
at the Battle of Adrianople in 1205. In 1206 the Latin regime gave Adrianople and the surrounding area to the Byzantine aristocrat Theodore Branas as a hereditary fief. Theodore Komnenos, Despot of Epirus, took possession of it in 1227, but three years later was defeated at Klokotnitsa by Emperor Ivan Asen II of Bulgaria. In 1362, the
Ottomans The Ottoman Turks ( tr, Osmanlı Türkleri), were the Turkic founding and sociopolitically the most dominant ethnic group of the Ottoman Empire ( 1299/1302–1922). Reliable information about the early history of Ottoman Turks remains scarce, ...
under Sultan Murad I invaded Thrace and Murad captured Adrianople, probably in 1369 (the date is disputed). The city became "Edirne" in Turkish, reflecting the Turkish pronunciation and Murad moved the Ottoman capital here from
Bursa ( grc-gre, Προῦσα, Proûsa, Latin: Prusa, ota, بورسه, Arabic:بورصة) is a city in northwestern Turkey and the administrative center of Bursa Province. The fourth-most populous city in Turkey and second-most populous in the ...
. Mehmed the Conqueror (Sultan Mehmed II) was born in Adrianople, where he came under the influence of
Hurufi Hurufism ( ar, حُرُوفِيَّة ''ḥurūfiyyah'', Persian: حُروفیان ''hōrufiyān'') was a Sufi movement based on the mysticism of letters (''ḥurūf''), which originated in Astrabad and spread to areas of western Iran (Persia) ...
s dismissed by
Taşköprüzade Taşköprüzade or Taşköprülüzade Ahmet (); variant Aḥmad ibn Muṣṭafá ibn Khalīl Ṭāshkubrīʹzādah () (3 December 1494 – 16 April 1561) was an Ottoman historian-chronicler living during the reign of Suleiman the Magnificent, wh ...
in the ''Şakaiki Numaniye'' as '
certain accursed ones of no significance {{Alevism "Certain accursed ones of no significance" is the term used by Taşköprüzade in the ''Shaqāʾiq al-Nuʿmāniyya'' to describe some members of the Hurufiyya who became intimate with the Sultan Mehmed II to the extent of initiating him as ...
', who were burnt as heretics by Mahmud Pasha. The city remained the seat of Ottoman power until 1453, when Mehmed II took Constantinople (present-day Istanbul) and moved the capital there. The importance of Edirne to the early Ottomans explains the plethora of early Ottoman mosques, medreses and other monuments that have survived until today although the Eski Sarayı (Old Palace) was largely destroyed, leaving only relatively slight remains. Also, there is evidence of a '' scriptorium'' in the Ottoman's Edirne palace during this period.


Later Ottoman period

That Adrianople/Edirne continued to hold an important place in Ottoman hearts is reflected in the fact that Sultan Mehmed IV left the palace in Constantinople to die here in 1693. The wife of the British ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, spent six weeks in Edirne (then Adrianople) in the spring of 1717 and left an account of her experiences there in her ''The Turkish Embassy Letters''. Wearing Turkish dress, Montagu witnessed the passage of Sultan Ahmed III to the mosque, visited the young wife-to-be of his vizier,
Damad Ibrahim Pasha Damat Ibrahim Pasha ( tr, Damat İbrahim Paşa, sh, Damat Ibrahim-paša; 1517–1601) was an Ottoman military commander and statesman who held the office of grand vizier three times (the first time from 4 April to 27 October 1596; the second t ...
and was shown around the Selimiye Mosque. Adrianople was briefly occupied by imperial Russian troops in 1829 during the
Greek War of Independence The Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution or the Greek Revolution of 1821, was a successful war of independence by Greek revolutionaries against the Ottoman Empire between 1821 and 1829. The Greeks were later assisted by ...
and in 1878 during the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878. The city suffered a fire in 1905. At that time it had about 80,000 inhabitants, of whom 30,000 were Turks; 22,000 Greeks; 10,000 Bulgarians; 4,000 Armenians; 12,000 Jews; and 2,000 more citizens of unclassified ethnic/religious backgrounds. Adrianople was a vital fortress defending Constantinople and Eastern Thrace during the
Balkan Wars The Balkan Wars refers to a series of two conflicts that took place in the Balkan States in 1912 and 1913. In the First Balkan War, the four Balkan States of Greece, Serbia, Montenegro and Bulgaria declared war upon the Ottoman Empire and defe ...
of 1912–13. It was briefly occupied by the Bulgarians in 1913, following the Siege of Adrianople. The Great Powers – Britain, Italy, France and Russia – attempted to coerce the Ottoman Empire into ceding Adrianople to Bulgaria during the temporary winter truce of the First Balkan War. The belief that the government was willing to give up the city created a scandal for the Ottoman government in Constantinople (as Adrianople was a former capital of the Empire), leading to the
1913 Ottoman coup d'état The 1913 Ottoman coup d'état (January 23, 1913), also known as the Raid on the Sublime Porte ( tr, Bâb-ı Âlî Baskını), was a coup d'état carried out in the Ottoman Empire by a number of Committee of Union and Progress (CUP) members led by ...
led by the Committee of Union and Progress (CUP) under
Enver Pasha İsmail Enver, better known as Enver Pasha ( ota, اسماعیل انور پاشا; tr, İsmail Enver Paşa; 22 November 1881 – 4 August 1922) was an Ottoman military officer, revolutionary, and convicted war criminal who formed one-third ...
. Although it was victorious in the coup, the CUP was unable to stop the Bulgarians from capturing the city after fighting resumed in the spring. Despite relentless pressure from the Great Powers, the Ottoman empire never officially ceded the city to Bulgaria. Edirne was swiftly reconquered by the Ottomans during the Second Balkan War under the leadership of
Enver Pasha İsmail Enver, better known as Enver Pasha ( ota, اسماعیل انور پاشا; tr, İsmail Enver Paşa; 22 November 1881 – 4 August 1922) was an Ottoman military officer, revolutionary, and convicted war criminal who formed one-third ...
(who proclaimed himself the "second conqueror of Adrianople" after Murad I) following the collapse of the Bulgarian army in the region. The entire Armenian population of the city was deported to Syria and Mesopotamia during the Armenian genocide on 27–28 October 1915 and 17–18 February 1916. Their property and businesses were sold at low prices to Turkish Muslims. During the
Greek War of Independence The Greek War of Independence, also known as the Greek Revolution or the Greek Revolution of 1821, was a successful war of independence by Greek revolutionaries against the Ottoman Empire between 1821 and 1829. The Greeks were later assisted by ...
, the
Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878) The Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878 ( tr, 93 Harbi, lit=War of ’93, named for the year 1293 in the Islamic calendar; russian: Русско-турецкая война, Russko-turetskaya voyna, "Russian–Turkish war") was a conflict between th ...
and the
Balkan Wars The Balkan Wars refers to a series of two conflicts that took place in the Balkan States in 1912 and 1913. In the First Balkan War, the four Balkan States of Greece, Serbia, Montenegro and Bulgaria declared war upon the Ottoman Empire and defe ...
(1912-1913), Balkan-Muslims fled to Edirne and became known as Muhacir.


Administrative arrangements

Adrianople was a sanjak centre during the Ottoman period and was bound to, successively, the
Rumeli Eyalet The Eyalet of Rumeli, or Eyalet of Rumelia ( ota, ایالت روم ایلی, ), known as the Beylerbeylik of Rumeli until 1591, was a first-level province ('' beylerbeylik'' or '' eyalet'') of the Ottoman Empire encompassing most of the Balkans ( ...
and
Silistre Eyalet The Eyalet of Silistra or Silistria ( ota, ایالت سیلیستره; ''Eyālet-i Silistre''), later known as Özü Eyalet ( ota, ایالت اوزی; ''Eyālet-i Özi'') meaning Province of Ochakiv was an '' eyalet'' of the Ottoman Empire alon ...
before becoming a provincial capital of the Eyalet of Edirne at the beginning of the 19th century; until 1878, the Eyalet of Adrianople comprised the sanjaks of Edirne, Tekfurdağı, Gelibolu,
Filibe Plovdiv ( bg, Пловдив, ), is the second-largest city in Bulgaria, standing on the banks of the Maritsa river in the historical region of Thrace. It has a population of 346,893 and 675,000 in the greater metropolitan area. Plovdiv is the c ...
, and İslimye. After land reforms in 1867, the Eyalet of Adrianople became the
Vilayet of Adrianople The Vilayet of Adrianople or Vilayet of Edirne ( ota, ولايت ادرنه; ''Vilâyet-i Edirne'') was a first-level administrative division (vilayet) of the Ottoman Empire. This vilayet was split between Turkey and Greece in 1923, culminating i ...
.


Turkish Republic

Adrianople/Edirne was ceded to Greece by the Treaty of Sèvres in 1920, but recaptured and annexed by Turkey after the Greek defeat at the end of the Greco-Turkish War, also known as the Western Front of the larger Turkish War of Independence, in 1922. Under the Greek administration, Edirne (officially known as Adrianople) was the capital of the
Adrianople Prefecture Edirne (, ), formerly known as Adrianople or Hadrianopolis (Greek: Άδριανούπολις), is a city in Turkey, in the northwestern part of the province of Edirne in Eastern Thrace. Situated from the Greek and from the Bulgarian borders, ...
. From 1934 onwards Edirne was the seat of the Second Inspectorate General, in which an Inspector General governed the provinces of Edirne, Çanakkale, Tekirdaĝ and Kırklareli. The Inspectorate Generals governmental posts were abandoned in 1948, but the legal framework for them was only abolished in 1952 during the government of the Democrat Party.


Ecclesiastical history

Adrianople was made the seat of a Greek
metropolitan Metropolitan may refer to: * Metropolitan area, a region consisting of a densely populated urban core and its less-populated surrounding territories * Metropolitan borough, a form of local government district in England * Metropolitan county, a typ ...
and of an Armenian bishop. It is also the centre of a Bulgarian diocese but this is not recognised and has been deprived of a bishop. The city also had some Protestants. The few, mainly foreign Latin Catholics were dependent on the vicariate-apostolic of Constantinople. Adrianople also contained the parish of St. Anthony of Padua (Minors Conventual) and a school for girls conducted by the Sisters of Charity of Agram. The suburb of Karaağaç contained a church (
Minor Conventuals The Order of Friars Minor Conventual (OFM Conv) is a male religious fraternity in the Roman Catholic Church that is a branch of the Franciscans. The friars in OFM CONV are also known as Conventual Franciscans, or Minorites. Dating back to ...
), a school for boys (Assumptionists) and a school for girls (Oblates of the Assumption). Each of its mission stations, at Tekirdağ and Alexandroupoli, had a school (Minor Conventuals), and there was one at
Gallipoli The Gallipoli peninsula (; tr, Gelibolu Yarımadası; grc, Χερσόνησος της Καλλίπολης, ) is located in the southern part of East Thrace, the European part of Turkey, with the Aegean Sea to the west and the Dardanelles ...
(the Assumptionists). Around 1850, from the standpoint of the Eastern Catholic Churches, Adrianople was the residence of a Bulgarian vicar-apostolic for the 4,600 Eastern Catholics of the Ottoman vilayet (province) of Thrace and after 1878 - of the
principality of Bulgaria The Principality of Bulgaria ( bg, Княжество България, Knyazhestvo Balgariya) was a vassal state under the suzerainty of the Ottoman Empire. It was established by the Treaty of Berlin in 1878. After the Russo-Turkish War ende ...
. They had eighteen parishes or missions, six of which were in the principality, with twenty churches or chapels, thirty-one priests, of whom six were
Assumptionists The Assumptionists, officialy named the Congregation of the Augustinians of the Assumption ( la, Congregatio Augustinianorum ab Assumptione) abbreviated AA,is a Catholic clerical religious congregation of Pontifical Right for men (priests and b ...
and six were Resurrectionists; and eleven schools with 670 pupils. In Adrianople itself there were only a few United Bulgarians, with an Episcopal church of St. Elias, and the churches of St. Demetrius and Sts. Cyril and Methodius. The last is served by the Resurrectionists, who also have a college with ninety pupils. In the suburb of Karaağaç, the
Assumptionists The Assumptionists, officialy named the Congregation of the Augustinians of the Assumption ( la, Congregatio Augustinianorum ab Assumptione) abbreviated AA,is a Catholic clerical religious congregation of Pontifical Right for men (priests and b ...
have a parish and a seminary with fifty pupils. Besides the Eastern Catholic Bulgarians, the above statistics included the Greek Catholic missions of Malgara (now Malkara) and Daoudili (now Davuteli village in Malkara), with four priests and 200 faithful, because from the civil point of view belonged to the Bulgarian Vicariate. Later however, the Roman Catholic diocese was discontinued, and exists only in name as a titular metropolitan archbishopric, under the full name ''Hadrianopolis in Haemimonto'' to distinguish it from several other titular sees named Hadrianopolis. In 2018, archaeologists discovered remains of a Byzantine church. The church was built around 500 AD and it was an early Byzantine period building.


Geography


Climate

Edirne has a borderline humid subtropical (''Cfa'') and hot-summer Mediterranean climate (''Csa'') in the Köppen climate classification, and a temperate
oceanic climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate, is the humid temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring cool summers and mild winters ( ...
(''Do'') in the Trewartha climate classification. Edirne has hot, moderately dry summers and chilly, wet and often snowy winters.


Attractions

Edirne is famed for its many mosques, medreses and other Ottoman monuments.


Mosques

The Selimiye Mosque, built in 1575 and designed by Turkey's greatest architect, Mimar Sinan (c. 1489/1490–1588), is the most important monument in the city and became a UNESCO world heritage site in 2011.t has the highest
minaret A minaret (; ar, منارة, translit=manāra, or ar, مِئْذَنة, translit=miʾḏana, links=no; tr, minare; fa, گل‌دسته, translit=goldaste) is a type of tower typically built into or adjacent to mosques. Minarets are generall ...
s in Turkey, at . Sinan himself believed the dome to be higher than that of Hagia Sophia, the former Byzantine Orthodox Cathedral in Istanbul, but modern measuring methods seem to suggest otherwise. Named after Sultan
Selim II Selim II ( Ottoman Turkish: سليم ثانى ''Selīm-i sānī'', tr, II. Selim; 28 May 1524 – 15 December 1574), also known as Selim the Blond ( tr, Sarı Selim) or Selim the Drunk ( tr, Sarhoş Selim), was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire ...
(r. 1566–1574) who commissioned it but did not live to see its completion, the mosque is decorated with Turkish marble and magnificent İznik tiles. It is the centre of a considerable complex of contemporary buildings. Work started on the Eski Cami ( Old Mosque) in1403 but was not completed until 1422. It was designed is what is usually thought of as the
Bursa ( grc-gre, Προῦσα, Proûsa, Latin: Prusa, ota, بورسه, Arabic:بورصة) is a city in northwestern Turkey and the administrative center of Bursa Province. The fourth-most populous city in Turkey and second-most populous in the ...
style. Even finer is the Üç Şerefli Mosque (Three-Balconied Mosque) which was built between 1437 and 1447 for Sultan Murad II. It was the largest mosque built in the Ottoman provinces before the conquest of Constantinople. Both these mosques are in the centre of Edirne. Further away from the centre, the complex of Sultan Beyazid II, built between 184 and 1488, and has a lovely semi-rural location. It is the most complete surviving mosque complex in Edirne, consisting of an ''imaret'' (soup kitchen), ''darüşşifa'' (hospital), ''timarhane'' (asylum), hospice, ''tıp medrese'' (medical school), ''tabhane'' (accommodation for dervishes) bakery and assorted depots. Some parts of the complex now house a museum to the history of Islamic medicine.


Edirne Palace

Edirne Palace Edirne Palace ( tr, Edirne Sarayı), or formerly New Imperial Palace ( ota, Saray-ı Cedid-i Amire) is a former palace of the Ottoman sultans in Edirne (then known in English as Adrianople), built during the era when the city was the capital of th ...
( ota, Saray-ı Cedid-i Amire for "New Imperial Palace") in the Sarayiçi quarter, was built in the reign of Murad II (r. 1421–1444) but was destroyed in 1877, during the Russo-Turkish War. The palace gate and kitchen have since been restored. The ''Kasr-ı Adalet'' ("Justice Castle"), originally built as part of the palace complex, stands intact next to the small
Fatih Bridge Fatih Bridge ( tr, Fatih Köprüsü), a.k.a. Bönce Bridge, is a historic Ottoman bridge in Edirne, Turkey. It crosses the Tunca,Ottoman Architecture, John Freely, page 87, 2011 connecting Edirne Palace to the city. Constructed by the Ottoman ...
over the Tunca river.The splendid appearance of the palace in the late 1460s when it glistened with gold, silver and marble was described by Kritovoulos of İmbros in his ''History of Mehmed the Conqueror.''


Other religious monuments

Dating back to 1909, the
Grand Synagogue of Edirne Grand Synagogue of Edirne, aka Adrianople Synagogue (Hebrew: , tr, Edirne Büyük Sinagogu) is a historic Sephardi synagogue located in Maarif Street of Edirne, Turkey. It was designed in the Moorish Revival style and restored in 2015. History ...
was restored and re-opened in March 2015. A Roman Catholic and two Bulgarian Orthodox churches are also to be found in the city.


Other historic monuments

Edirne has three historic covered
bazaar A bazaar () or souk (; also transliterated as souq) is a marketplace consisting of multiple small Market stall, stalls or shops, especially in the Middle East, the Balkans, North Africa and India. However, temporary open markets elsewhere, suc ...
s: the Kavaflar Arastası (Cobblers Arcade), next to the Selimiye Mosque and constructed to bring in an income to support the külliye; the Bedesten next to the Eski Cami which was supported by the income from the shops; and the Semiz Ali Paşa Çarşısı (Ali Pasha Bazaar, AKA Kapalı Çarşı), another work of Sinan dating back to 1568. The Kavaflar Arastası is the place to come to buy miniature versions of the handmade brooms with mirrors set into them that used to play a part in marriage ceremonies as well as to buy soap in the shape of fruits. Of the original Roman Hadrianopolis only slight remains of the fortifications survive near the so-called Macedonian Tower, itself probably a part of the defences although much patched-up and altered over the ensuing centuries.
Edirne Museum Edirne Museum is in Edirne, Turkey Location The museum is in the center of Edirne on Kadirpaşa Mektep street. It is next to the famous Selimiye Mosque at . History The museum was established in 1925 in a medrese of the Selimiye Mosque with ins ...
(Edirne Müzesi) contains collections of local archaeology and ethnography. In the grounds outside can be seen an example of the sort of dolmen to be seen at nearby Lalapaşa. In the town centre stand the Rüstem Pasha (1560-61) and Ekmekcioğlu Ahmed Pasha caravanserais, designed to accommodate travellers - in the case of the Rüstem Pasha by Mimar Sinan - in the 16th century. The Rüstem Pasha Caravanerai now serves as the Kervansaray Hotel. The Balkan Wars Memorial Cemetery is located close to the ruins of the Edirne Palace, with an Unknown Soldier monument featuring an Ottoman soldier in front of its entrance. The Meriç and Tunca rivers, which flow around west and south of the city, are crossed by elegant arched bridges dating back to early Ottoman times. The historic
Karaağaç railway station The Karaağaç station ( tr, Karaağaç Garı) or before 1971 Edirne station ( tr, Edirne Garı) was the name of the former railway station in Edirne, located south-west of the city. Currently, it houses Trakya University's Faculty of Fine Arts. ...
has been restored to house Trakya University's Faculty of Fine Arts. The
Treaty of Lausanne Monument and Museum The Treaty of Lausanne Monument and Museum ( tr, Lozan Anıtı ve Müzesi) are a monument and a museum dedicated to the Treaty of Lausanne of 1923. The monument, opened in 1998, is located at Karaağaç, Edirne in Turkey, and the museum is next t ...
are in the surrounding park.


Festivals

The
Kırkpınar Kırkpınar is a Turkish oil wrestling ( tr, yağlı güreş) tournament where Pehlivans (wrestlers) compete for three days. It is held annually, usually in late June, near Edirne, Turkey since 1360. In the finals held on the last day, the first ...
oil-wrestling Oil wrestling ( tr, Yağlı güreş), also called grease wrestling, is a traditional Turkish sport, where participants, called ''pehlivan'' (wrestlers) or ''baspehlivan'' (master wrestlers), wrestle while covered in oil. Competitions are held in ...
tournament is held every year in late June or early July. Kakava, an international festival celebrated by the Romani people in Turkey is held on 5-6 May each year. Bocuk Gecesi is a festival of Balkan origin celebrated in mid-January on what is expected to be the coldest day of the year. It is a sort of Turish take on Halloween.


Economy

Edirne's economy largely depends on agriculture. 73% of the working population work in agriculture, fishing, forests and hunting. The lowlands are productive. Corn, sugarbeets and sunflowers are the leading crops. Melons, watermelons, rice, tomatoes, eggplants and viniculture are important. The through highway that connects Europe to Istanbul, Anatolia and the Middle East passes through Edirne. Industry is developing. Agriculture-based industries (agro-industries) are especially important for the city's economy.


Education


Universities

* Trakya University, which is linked with Lörrach University through the Erasmus programme of the EU.


High schools

*
Beykent Educational Institutions Beykent Educational Institutions ( tr, Beykent Eğitim Kurumları) are a group of schools in Edirne and European side of Istanbul, Turkey, established by Beykent University Chairman of the Board of Trustees Adem Çelik. Private Istanbul Beykent P ...
* 80th Year of Republic Anatolian High School (80. Yıl Cumhuriyet Anadolu Lisesi in Turkish) * Edirne Anatolian Teacher Training High School (Edirne Anadolu Öğretmen Lisesi in Turkish: It has been transformed into Edirne Social Sciences High School) * Edirne Anatolian Technical High School (Edirne Anadolu Teknik Lisesi in Turkish) * Edirne Beykent High School of Science (Özel Edirne Beykent Fen Lisesi) * Edirne Beykent High School of Anatolian (Özel Edirne Beykent Anadolu Lisesi) * Edirne High School (Anatolian High School) (Edirne Lisesi in Turkish) * Edirne Ilhami Ertem High School (Edirne İlhami Ertem Lİsesi in Turkish) * Edirne Industrial Vocational High School (Edirne Endüstri Meslek Lisesi in Turkish) * Edirne Milli Piyango Trade Profession High School (Edirne Milli Piyango Ticaret Meslek Lisesi) * Edirne Suleyman Demirel Science & Maths High School (Edirne Fen Lisesi in Turkish) * Edirne Yildirim Anatolian High School (Edirne Anadolu Lisesi - Yıldırım Anadolu Lisesi in Turkish) * Edirne Fine Arts High School (Edirne Güzel Sanatlar Lisesi in Turkish)


Gallery

File:GrandSynagogueEdirne (5).JPG, Interior view of the
Grand Synagogue of Edirne Grand Synagogue of Edirne, aka Adrianople Synagogue (Hebrew: , tr, Edirne Büyük Sinagogu) is a historic Sephardi synagogue located in Maarif Street of Edirne, Turkey. It was designed in the Moorish Revival style and restored in 2015. History ...
File:Selimiye Mosque Mosque 0170.jpg, Interior view of the Selimiye Mosque, Edirne File:Selimiye Mosque 3.JPG, View of the Selimiye Mosque, Edirne File:Nagymecset - Edirne, 2014.10.22 (11).JPG, View of the Selimiye Mosque, Edirne File:HistoricHouseEdirne (4).JPG, A house in Edirne from the Ottoman period File:Edirne Old Mosque 2846.jpg, Interior of Eski Cami (Old Mosque) File:HistoricSchoolBuildingEdirne.JPG, A historic elementary school building File:MeriçBridgeEdirne.JPG,
Meriç Bridge Meriç Bridge ( tr, Meriç Köprüsü), ''Yeni Köprü'', meaning New Bridge or Mecidiye Bridge, after Sultan Abdülmecid I, is a historic Ottoman bridge in Edirne (formerly Adrianople), Turkey. It crosses the Meriç river, carrying the state r ...
File:Edirnedowntown.jpg, Edirne Main Street File:IV. Mehmet Av Köşkü - panoramio (1).jpg, Mehmet IV Hunting Lodge File:Sts. Constantine and Helen Church (Edirne), Front.jpg, Sts. Constantine and Helena Bulgarian Church File:FatihBridge&Kasr-ıAdaletEdirne.JPG,
Fatih Bridge Fatih Bridge ( tr, Fatih Köprüsü), a.k.a. Bönce Bridge, is a historic Ottoman bridge in Edirne, Turkey. It crosses the Tunca,Ottoman Architecture, John Freely, page 87, 2011 connecting Edirne Palace to the city. Constructed by the Ottoman ...
over the
Tunca River The Tundzha ( bg, Тунджа , tr, Tunca , el, Τόνζος ) is a river in Bulgaria and Turkey (known in antiquity as the Tonsus) and the most significant tributary of the Maritsa, emptying into it on Turkish territory near Edirne. Th ...
, with the Kasr-ı Adalet (Justice Pavilion) tower in the background File:Ghazi Mihal Mosque.jpg, Ghazi Mihal Mosque File:Muradiye mosque 3447.jpg, Part of Muradiye Mosque mihrab File:Muradiye mosque 3468.jpg, Muradiye Mosque front File:Roman Walls and Tower 0209.jpg, A Roman Tower still standing


Quarters


Twin cities


Notable people

;Sultans * Bayezid I (1360—1403), Ottoman sultan from 1389 to 1402 *
Mahmud I Mahmud I ( ota, محمود اول, tr, I. Mahmud, 2 August 1696 13 December 1754), known as Mahmud the Hunchback, was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1730 to 1754. He took over the throne after the Patrona Halil rebellion and he kept goo ...
(1696—1754), Ottoman sultan from 1730 to 1754 * Mehmed the Conqueror (1432–1481), Ottoman sultan who conquered Constantinople (today Istanbul) *
Mustafa II Mustafa II (; ota, مصطفى ثانى ''Muṣṭafā-yi sānī''; 6 February 1664 – 29 December 1703) was the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1695 to 1703. Early life He was born at Edirne Palace on 6 February 1664. He was the son of Sult ...
(1664–1703), Ottoman sultan from 1695 to 1703 * Osman III (1699—1757), Ottoman sultan from 1754 to 1757 * Şahin Giray (1745-1787), last khan of Crimea ;Historical * Caleb Afendopolo (before 1430-1499), Jewish polyhistor *
Athanasius I of Constantinople Athanasius I (1230 – 28 October 1310) was the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople for two terms, from 1289 to 1293 and 1303 to 1309. He was born in Adrianople and died in Constantinople. Chosen by the emperor Andronicus II Palaeologus , ...
(1230—1310), Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople *
Athanasius V of Jerusalem Athanasius V (died 1844) was Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem (1827 – December 28, 1844). He was born in Edirne. 1844 deaths People from Edirne 19th-century Greek Orthodox Patriarchs of Jerusalem 1827 births {{EasternOrthodoxy-bishop ...
(died 1844), Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem *
Hagop Baronian Hagop Baronian (pronounced in Eastern Armenian as Hakob Paronyan, traditional spelling: Յակոբ Պարոնեան, reformed spelling: Հակոբ Պարոնյան, tr, Hagop Baronyan; 1843–1891) was an influential Ottoman Armenian writer, p ...
(1843—1891), Ottoman Armenian writer, satirist, educator * Elijah Bashyazi (c. 1420—1490), Karaite Jewish hakham * Theodore Branas, Byzantine general *
Nikephoros Bryennios (ethnarch) Nikephoros Bryennios ( el, Νικηφόρος Βρυέννιος), Latinized as Nicephorus Bryennius, was an important Byzantine general who was involved in rebellions against the empress Theodora and later the emperor Michael VI Stratiotikos. ...
, Byzantine general *
Abraham ben Raphael Caro Abraham ben Raphael Caro was an Ottoman rabbi. He flourished at Adrianople in the first half of the eighteenth century. He was a descendant of Rabbi Joseph Karo Joseph ben Ephraim Karo, also spelled Yosef Caro, or Qaro ( he, יוסף קארו; 148 ...
, 18th-century Ottoman rabbi *
Karpos Papadopoulos Polykarpos "Karpos" Papadopoulos ( Greek: Πολύκαρπος (Κάρπος) Παπαδόπουλος) was a Greek merchant, writer and revolutionary. He was born possibly in the 1790s in Edirne or in Enez in East Thrace, where in 1818 he was ...
(1790s-1871), Member of the Filiki Eteria *
Theoklitos Polyeidis Theoklitos Polyeidis ( el, Θεόκλητος Πολυειδής, Theóklitos Polyeidís) was a Greek scholar, teacher, translator, priest and monk during the period of the Modern Greek Enlightenment. His most notable work was the ''Oracles of Ag ...
(1698-1759), Greek scholar, teacher, translator, priest and monk * Dionysius V of Constantinople (1820-1891), Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople *
Joseph Halévy __NOTOC__ Joseph Halévy (15 December 1827, in Adrianople – 21 January 1917, in Paris) was an Ottoman born Jewish-French Orientalist and traveller. His most notable work was done in Yemen, which he crossed during 1869 to 1870 in search of Sab ...
(1827—1917), Ottoman-born Jewish-French Orientalist and traveler *
Abdulcelil Levni Levnî Abdülcelil Çelebi (1680s–1732) was an early 18th century Ottoman court painter under the Sultans Mustafa II and Ahmed III. He was a prominent Ottoman miniaturist during the Tulip Period, well-regarded for his traditional yet innovati ...
(died 1732), Ottoman court painter and miniaturist * Neşâtî (?–1674), Ottoman poet *
Georgi Valkovich Georgi Valkovich Cholakov''Valkovich'' may also be transliterated as ''Vulkovich'' or ''Vǎlkovič''. ( bg, Георги Вълкович Чолаков) (1833 – ) was a Bulgarian physician, diplomat and conservative politician. Among the leadin ...
(1833—1892), Bulgarian physician, diplomat and politician * Yirmisekiz Mehmed Çelebi (died 1732), Ottoman statesman and ambassador *
Stefanos Koumanoudis Stefanos Koumanoudis ( el, Στέφανος Κουμανούδης, 1818-1899) was a Greek archaeologist, teacher and writer of the 19th century. Biography He was born in 1818 in Adrianople to a rich merchant family. In an early age, his family ...
(1818-1899), Greek archaeologist, university teacher, writer and translator * Charles XII, Swedish king who stayed in the city for most of 1713during his exile in the Ottoman Empire *
Baháʼu'lláh Baháʼu'lláh (born Ḥusayn-ʻAlí; 12 November 1817 – 29 May 1892) was the founder of the Baháʼí Faith. He was born to an aristocratic family in Persia, and was exiled due to his adherence to the messianic Bábí Faith. In 1863, in I ...
, founder of the Baháʼí faith, lived in Edirne from 1863 to 1868. He was exiled here by the Ottoman Empire before being banished to the Ottoman penal colony in
Akka Akka or AKKA may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Akka'' (film), a 1976 Indian Tamil film * ''Akka'' (TV series), a 2014–2015 Indian Tamil soap opera * Akka, a character in the children's novel ''The Wonderful Adventures of Nils'' by Selma ...
. Referred to Adrianople in his writings as the "Land of Mystery". ;Contemporary *
Cem Adrian Cem Filiz (born 30 November 1980), better known by his stage name Cem Adrian, is a Turkish musician of Bosniak origin, singer-songwriter and record producer. Early life His father was a merchant, while his mother was a housewife. Adrian was born ...
(born 1980), Turkish singer-songwriter, author, producer and film director *
Şevket Süreyya Aydemir Şevket Süreyya Aydemir (1897–25 March 1976) was a Turkish writer, intellectual, economist, historian, and one of the founders, publisher and a key theorist of ''Kadro'' ("Cadre"). ''Kadro'' was an influential left-wing political journal publi ...
(1897—1976), Turkish writer, intellectual, economist, historian *
Atılay Canel Atılay Canel (born January 24, 1955) is a Turkish football coach. He served as the head coach of the Turkey women's national football team in 2002. Currently, he coaches the TFF Third League team Maltepespor. Canel's past teams were Sarıyer G. ...
(born 1955), Turkish football coach *
Cavit Erdel Cavit Erdel (1884; Adrianople (Edirne) – 5 March 1933; Ankara) was a military officer of the Ottoman Army and a general of the Turkish Army The Turkish Land Forces ( tr, Türk Kara Kuvvetleri), or Turkish Army (Turkish: ), is the main branc ...
(1884—1933), Ottoman Army officer and Turkish Army general *
Hüsrev Gerede Hüsrev Gerede (1884 in Adrianople, Adrianople Vilayet – March 30, 1962 in Istanbul) was a Turkish diplomat and career officer, who served in the Ottoman Army and the Turkish Army.Türk Parlamento Tarihi Araştırma Grubu, ''Türk Parlamento ...
(1884-1962), Ottoman and Turkish Army officer, politician and diplomat *
Avra Theodoropoulou Avra Theodoropoulou ( el, Αύρα Θεοδωροπούλου; 3 November 1880 – 20 January 1963) was a Greek music teacher, pianist, suffragist and women's rights activist. She founded the League for Women's Rights in 1920 and served as its ch ...
(1880-1863), Greek musician and activist *
Ragıp Gümüşpala Ragıp Gümüşpala (1897 – 6 June 1964) was the 11th Chief of the General Staff of the Turkish Armed Forces and founder of the Justice Party in 1961. He died shortly afterwards, on 6 June 1964, in Istanbul. Biography Military Life While he ...
(1897-1964), 11th Chief of the General Staff of the Turkish Armed Forces *
Acun Ilıcalı Ali Acun Ilıcalı (; born 29 May 1969) is a Turkish broadcaster, entrepreneur, international TV producer, and businessman of Azerbaijani origin. He is the owner of the TV channels TV8 and , Turkey's digital platform Exxen. He is the founder an ...
(born 1969), Turkish television personality and producer *
Haşim İşcan Haşim İşcan (1898 Edirne, Adrianople Vilayet – March 11, 1968, Istanbul) was a Turkish high school teacher, province governor and the first elected mayor of Istanbul. Biography He was born 1898 in Edirne. After graduating from the School of ...
(1898-1968), Turkish high school teacher, province governor and the first elected mayor of Istanbul *
Kemal Kerinçsiz Kemal Kerinçsiz (born February 20, 1960 in Edirne, Turkey) is a Turkish nationalist lawyer, famous for filing complaints against more than 40 Turkish journalists and authors (including Orhan Pamuk, Elif Şafak, and the late Hrant Dink) for "insult ...
(born 1960), Turkish ultra-nationalist lawyer *
Özlem Kolat Özlem Kolat (born 15 June 1984 in Edirne) is a Turkish classical clarinet player. Education Özlem Kolat started clarinet training at the State Conservatory of Trakya University in 1995 under the guidance of Oktay Bağırov. She was awarded th ...
(born 1984), Turkish classical clarinet player *
Michael Petkov Mihail Petkov ( bg, Михаил Петков) (24 October 1850 – 27 May 1921) was a Bulgarian Eastern Catholic priest, member of the Uniate movement in the Ottoman Empire. Biography Michael Petkov was born on October 24, 1850 in the city of ...
(1850-1921), Bulgarian Eastern Catholic priest *
Muharrem Korhan Yamaç Muharrem Korhan Yamaç (born October 31, 1972, in Edirne, Turkey) is a Paralympics, world and European champion disabled sport shooter from Turkey competing in the air pistol events of 10m, 25m and 50m. He was an army officer at the rank of a l ...
(born 1972), Paralympics, world and European champion disabled sport shooter *
Nikos Zachariadis Nikos Zachariadis ( el, Νίκος Ζαχαριάδης; 27 April 1903 – 1 August 1973) was the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) from 1931 to 1956, and one of the most important personalities in the Greek Civil War. E ...
(1903—1973), General Secretary of the Communist Party of Greece * Gökberk Ergeneman (born 1995) National Tennis Player


See also

* List of battles of Adrianople * List of treaties of Adrianople * Trakya University


References

https://www.academia.edu/23674853/Edirne_Ta%C5%9F_K%C3%B6pr%C3%BCleri_Edirne_Stone_Bridges


Further reading

* * *


External links


Edirne Directory



Edirne Weather Forecast Information

Photographs of the town and monuments taken by Disk Osseman


{{Authority control
Hadrianopolis in Haemimonto Edirne (, ), formerly known as Adrianople or Hadrianopolis ( Greek: Άδριανούπολις), is a city in Turkey, in the northwestern part of the province of Edirne in Eastern Thrace. Situated from the Greek and from the Bulgarian borde ...
Cities in Turkey Former national capitals Jewish communities in Turkey Populated places established in the 2nd century Roman sites in Turkey