Edirne

Edirne (pronounced eh-deer-neh) is the chief city of Eastern Thrace, in the Marmara Region of northwest Turkey. It lies on the gently rolling Thracian plains at the confluence of three rivers, close to the borders with Greece and Bulgaria. Most visitors crossing those borders drive straight on east, or stay on the bus or train, to reach Istanbul. Yet Edirne was for a time the capital of the Ottoman Empire, and continued to be an imperial retreat, adorned with magnificent mosques. It's definitely among the top sights of Turkey.

History
The Thracian settlement of Uskadama was rebuilt from 125 AD by Roman Emperor Hadrian, who (lacking false modesty) named it Hadrianopolis. It was astride a major trade and transport route, and set in a fertile region, so it was frequently fought over, with 16 major battles and sieges during its 1900-year history. Its longest spells of control were as part of the Byzantine Empire, then under the Ottomans. When Sultan Murad I captured Thrace, he turned the city of Adrianople (which he and his people pronounced as "Edirne") into his capital in 1369. Once Byzantium / Constantinople / Istanbul was captured in 1453 the capital moved there, to become the centre of the vast Ottoman Empire. Edirne remained important as a summer palace and imperial retreat, and between 1700 and 1750 it was the fourth-largest city in Europe, with an estimated population of 35,000.

But by 1700 that empire was in decline. Austria-Hungary drove the Ottomans out of central Europe; Russia gained control of the Black Sea and sought to seize the Bosphorus and Dardanelles. Edirne's population fled before Russian invasions in 1829 and 1878, which reached the western outskirts of Istanbul. The Balkans were literally "balkanised" - broken up by nationalist movements and wars, and one of those conflicts escalated into World War I, which Turkey joined on the side of Germany. That continued after 1918 with a war with Greece, which became the War of Turkish Independence.

The Treaty of Lausanne in 1923 redrew Turkey's borders. Alas for Edirne, these were just west of the city, so much of its hinterlands (even some suburbs) were lost, and trade was stifled across a not-very-friendly border. (See below for the convolutions this caused the railway.) Turkey was neutral in World War II, but just across the river, Nazi flags fluttered over Axis Bulgaria and occupied Greece. Much of the city was then evacuated, and those who couldn't flee suffered cold and famine. Nor was there much reason to return after that war, as industrial regeneration favoured other cities. So Edirne grew slowly, reaching a population of 185,408 in 2019.

Orientation
The River Tundzha or Tunca flows south, and makes a loop around the west edge of the city before joining the River Maritsa. At the core of the city are the three imperial mosques of Selimiye, Üç Şerefeli and Old Mosque. Highways radiate from here: Talat Paşa Bulvarı heads east, becoming D100 to Istanbul, while Londra Asfaltı heads west as D100 to the Bulgarian border at Kapıkule. A series of Ottoman bridges and causeways cross the two rivers and their islands and flood-plains: the main routes are Gazi Mihal Bridge west, Hükümet Cd north towards the former palace at Sarayiçi, and Lozan Cd south to Karaağaç.

The main sights are therefore in a compact area and can be seen on a day-trip. If you don't have time for the outlying districts, at least stroll as far as the historic bridges: those closest to the centre are the south-side bridges to Karaağaç.

The climate is fairly continental, but with some Mediterranean and oceanic influence. Late spring and early autumn are the best times to visit. Edirne is well inland and has more of a continental climate than the Marmara coast. It has hot, dry summers, 26-35°C daytime, hotter but less humid than Istanbul, nevertheless with occasional thundery downpours. Winters are chilly, with both rain and snow, and bitterly cold nights.

The TIC is on Talat Paşa Cd next to the Old Mosque. It's open daily 08:30-17:30.

By plane
Istanbul Airport has a wide range of direct flights to Europe, Asia and beyond. Istanbul Seyahat bus runs from IST airport to Edirne every two hours for 110 TL single.

Otherwise by public transport you have to head into Istanbul city centre then travel out again, but with a hired car you're quickly on the road to Thrace. If you fly into the city's other airport Sabiha Gökçen, that's Asia-side and you face a congested cross-city journey.

By bus
Buses run from Istanbul Esenler station at least hourly, taking 2 to 4 hours non-stop, for a fare of 75 TL. Metro Turizm is the main operator. In normal times buses run round the clock but in early 2021 they cease between midnight and 05:00.

Buses also run to Edirne from Çanakkale via the Gallipoli peninsula, Keşan and Uzunköprü. In early 2021 they only run once a day, operated by Isparta.

The in Edirne is 5 km southeast of the centre, junction of D100 and the city bypass. Town buses will take you to city centre.

There are no direct buses to Bulgaria. You could take a taxi to Kapikule on the Bulgarian border, where you might be lucky and wave over a bus towards Plovdiv and Sofia. Or walk across the border and take a bus or train from Kapitan Andreevo in Bulgaria.

By train
A single regional train per day leaves Kapikule at the Bulgarian border at 07:00, stopping at both stations in Edirne around 07:30. It continues east via Lüleburgaz, Çorlu and Çerkezköy to reach Istanbul Halkali by 11:30. The return train leaves Halkali at 18:00, reaching Edirne around 22:00 and Kapikule by 22:30. A single from Halkali to Edirne is 55 TL in 2022. Halkali is 15 km west of Istanbul city centre but is connected by the frequent Marmaray metro train.

The overnight train from Bucharest and Sofia runs nightly year-round, operated by TCDD. The east- and westbound services both arrive at Edirne around 02:00; you're not destined to get much sleep because everyone has to get off at the border for passport and customs checks.

Optima Express is a car-train from Villach in Austria to Edirne two or three times a week April-November, taking 33 hours. Departure days vary. This train enables motorists to avoid the tricky, tiring roads through the Balkans, and it's also open for passengers without cars. Optima don't offer tickets from intermediate stations such as Zagreb.

In June 2019, another train ran daytime between Plovdiv in Bulgaria and Edirne. It was meant to be a permanent service, but lasted for just one weekend then was cancelled! It's not known if it will ever resume - it created a useful extra route between Bulgaria and Turkey, avoiding arrival / departure in the small hours.

The railway between Edirne and Istanbul is being upgraded to create a better conventional line and a YHT line, cutting the journey to 80 min. The forecast completion date of 2024 looks highly optimistic.

is the main station, 4 km east of downtown, close to the main highway east to Istanbul. International and regional trains stop here.

is 1 km SW of the centre, on the edge of the old quarter near the riverbank. The regional trains stop here but not the international trains.

(Καστανιές), just across the border into Greece and 4 km southwest of Edirne, has trains from Alexandroupolis on the line to Dikaia, operated by TrainOSE and taking just over two hours. In 2022 there's only a single train M-F, leaving Alexandroupolis before 09:00 and heading back from Kastaniés around noon.

By car
The city is on the main highways between Turkey and Europe, the toll-free D100 and toll-motorway O-3 / E80. Istanbul is 224 km east, say two hours.

All border crossings are open 24 hours. The main border checkpoint is Kapikule (Turkey) / Kapitan Andreevo (Bulgaria), west of Edirne. Svilengrad further is the first Bulgarian town you reach.

The minor nearby crossing is Pazarkule (Turkey) / Kastaniés (Greece) 4 km southwest of the city.

The other crossing, which you're unlikely to use, is 40 km north on D535 at Hamzabeyli (Turkey) / Lesovo (Bulgaria).

Get around
The centre is compact, fairly flat and walkable. The outlying districts are within a long walk, but you might prefer to take a taxi or dolmuş at least one way.

Downtown

 * Arasta Bazaar, if you do want to find the shops, is the covered market along the southwest flank of the mosque.
 * Macedonian Tower (Makedonya Kulesi) is the crumbling bastion just west of Üç Şerefeli Mosque. The last remnants of the city's Roman walls are here: they were part of the fort established by Hadrian in the 2nd century AD, then extended in the Byzantine 10th century. There were four watchtowers, and this one looked towards Macedonia, though what they were most anxiously watching for was the Bulgarians, or fires taking hold in the city. The fort was demolished in the 19th century leaving only this tower, which was built upon to create a clock tower. It was rocked by several earthquakes and in 1953 had to be partly dismantled. Some modern repairs have been made but the tower is dilapidated and can't be entered.
 * Macedonian Tower (Makedonya Kulesi) is the crumbling bastion just west of Üç Şerefeli Mosque. The last remnants of the city's Roman walls are here: they were part of the fort established by Hadrian in the 2nd century AD, then extended in the Byzantine 10th century. There were four watchtowers, and this one looked towards Macedonia, though what they were most anxiously watching for was the Bulgarians, or fires taking hold in the city. The fort was demolished in the 19th century leaving only this tower, which was built upon to create a clock tower. It was rocked by several earthquakes and in 1953 had to be partly dismantled. Some modern repairs have been made but the tower is dilapidated and can't be entered.
 * Macedonian Tower (Makedonya Kulesi) is the crumbling bastion just west of Üç Şerefeli Mosque. The last remnants of the city's Roman walls are here: they were part of the fort established by Hadrian in the 2nd century AD, then extended in the Byzantine 10th century. There were four watchtowers, and this one looked towards Macedonia, though what they were most anxiously watching for was the Bulgarians, or fires taking hold in the city. The fort was demolished in the 19th century leaving only this tower, which was built upon to create a clock tower. It was rocked by several earthquakes and in 1953 had to be partly dismantled. Some modern repairs have been made but the tower is dilapidated and can't be entered.
 * Macedonian Tower (Makedonya Kulesi) is the crumbling bastion just west of Üç Şerefeli Mosque. The last remnants of the city's Roman walls are here: they were part of the fort established by Hadrian in the 2nd century AD, then extended in the Byzantine 10th century. There were four watchtowers, and this one looked towards Macedonia, though what they were most anxiously watching for was the Bulgarians, or fires taking hold in the city. The fort was demolished in the 19th century leaving only this tower, which was built upon to create a clock tower. It was rocked by several earthquakes and in 1953 had to be partly dismantled. Some modern repairs have been made but the tower is dilapidated and can't be entered.
 * (Kaleiçi, "walled city") corresponds to the area of the old fort, though the walls and gates are long gone. It was re-built on a grid pattern in the 19th century after a fire: all those wooden houses. The main thoroughfare is Maarif Caddesi, two blocks west of Saraçlar Cd. Many wooden houses survive, with artfully crafted exteriors, though some are derelict. South end of the street is the Synagogue, see below. At the north end, look for the small former Catholic church: it's in an alley attached to a primary school. There are numerous small Ottoman mosques around the district.

Northwest
Medieval bridges cross the River Tundzha to Sarayiçi and Yeniimaret. These were once important city districts, but depopulation left them lying at a distance across the fields. Another factor is the flood-prone river: even the most reckless property developer couldn't get away with urbanising its banks. The bridges have a modern flagstone surface and may be used by light vehicles.


 * means "inside the palace", of which only scraps remain. From downtown you go north along Saray Yolu, "Palace Road", a grand name for a lane that you expect any moment to dead-end in sports fields. This crosses the valley by two fine bridges: Kanuni Bridge south onto a broad river-island and Fatih Bridge north.

Southwest
Karaağaç (say kaa raa aa ach), 4 km southwest of downtown, is the only part of Turkey to lie west of Maritsa River, which otherwise forms the border with Greece.
 * Two Ottoman bridges link Karaağaç to downtown along Lozan (Lausanne) Cd. The first, at the edge of the old quarter at the foot of Maarif Cd, spans the River Tundzha. 250 m further is the longer bridge over the Maritsa, with a lookout midway. There are cafes on the far bank, where you're paying for the view. The bridges are open to light traffic.
 * Karaağaç meaning "elm wood" was laid out on a grid pattern in the 19th century. It's a pleasant district with several charming mansions.
 * The border with Greece is at Pazarkule, 2 km further west along Ortaköy Cd. It's open 24 hours.

Further out

 * You need a car to reach outlying sights.


 * is a village 25 km north of Edirne with a large dolmen, a stone passageway to tombs that would originally all have been covered by an earth mound. Dolmens in Thrace are typically late Bronze / early Iron Age, 1400-900 BC. Follow D535 north from the city, branching off to enter the village on 19 Mayıs Cd, and the dolmen is in village centre. There are others further northeast along that lane (as well as around Elhovo just across the Bulgarian border), though they're obscure as the stone has been re-used. The lane is a through-road across the hills on the border: there's a crossing on D535 but not on the lane.
 * Eventually the various lanes return to the lowlands at Kirklareli.
 * The Fence is the great barricade striding up hill, down dale for 269 km along the border with Bulgaria. It's been a "hard border" for almost a century but was reinforced in 2014 in a moral panic about who and what might be crossing from the east. Greece built a similar fence in 2012 but it's less obtrusive as the river forms a natural barrier. These fences rankled with Turkey, but Emperor Hadrian would have approved.

Do

 * Oil-wrestling (yağlı güreş) is practised all over Turkey, but a major competition (which has become the national event) is at Kırkpınar stadium. Wrestlers coat themselves in olive oil then try to grapple their slippery opponent to the ground. Bouts last up to 40 min. There's evidence of the sport from 2650 BC, and the Edirne contest dates from 1360 AD. The 2021 event is expected to be late June / early July but tba. Kırkpınar is on the river island on the approach to Sarayiçi, see above; it's walking distance from city centre.
 * Football: only for die-hard fans. Edirnespor nowadays languish in TFF Third League, soccer's fourth tier in Turkey - and that's after being promoted in 2020.

Buy

 * Fruit-shaped soaps are primarily used for decoration, and as air-fresheners.
 * Ornamental brooms are traditionally presented to brides. They're found in many souvenir shops, but just think about your carry-on luggage limits.
 * Ottoman covered bazaars: several, two central examples are Arasta next to Selimiye Mosque (signposted “Çarşı Girişi”), and Alipaşa which parallels Saraçlar Cd.

Eat

 * Liver (ciğer) is the local delicacy, prepared in a distinct Edirne style: whole pieces are dusted with flour, deep fried in vegetable oil, and served with a ferociously hot dried and crunchy pepper. If you don’t care for the smell of liver, you won't notice it in Edirne liver. Eat it with bread and ayran, a salty yogurt drink - these blunt the fire of the pepper. Small eateries that specialise in liver are called ciğerci; there's a cluster in the park by the Old Mosque. If one of your party doesn't like liver, they can fetch something different from another nearby restaurant.
 * Balkan Piliç Lokantasi on Darüleytam Sk is open daily 09:00-21:00. Good food but pricey for the small portions.
 * Ciğerci Niyazi Usta at Ortakapı Cd 9 is open for fried liver daily 09:30-20:30.
 * Cafes that you mainly choose for their location are:
 * - along Saraçlar Cd, the pedestrian mall a block east of the old quarter.
 * - south end of Maritsa Bridge, especially when sunset bathes the old town in lemon and olive oil.
 * - Sera Cafe at Mimar Sinar Cd 8 behind Selimiye Mosque.
 * - along Saraçlar Cd, the pedestrian mall a block east of the old quarter.
 * - south end of Maritsa Bridge, especially when sunset bathes the old town in lemon and olive oil.
 * - Sera Cafe at Mimar Sinar Cd 8 behind Selimiye Mosque.


 * Almond paste (badem ezmesi) is a local, soft cookie-like dessert of bitter almond. Keçecizade is a chain store selling this and other desserts. Their main outlet is at Hükümet Cd 5 opposite Üç Şerefeli.

Drink

 * Edirne has many birahanes - cafés that serve alcohol - and see above.
 * A strip along Maarif Cd includes Park Pub, Sezen Café & Pub, English Bar, Füguran and Mahzen.

Sleep
Edirne's accommodation is mostly around Old Quarter and east of centre. Many places are tatty: those listed appear to have been cleaned at least once during 2021.

Stay safe
Floods are a hazard after heavy rain especially in winter. Districts such as Karaağaç may be cut off as the medieval bridges become inundated. Never try to cross a flooded bridge, see local advice on work-around safe routes.

Connect
As of Dec 2020, Edirne has a good 4G signal from all Turkish carriers, which extends along the main highways up to the Greek and Bulgarian borders. 5G has not reached this area.

Consulates

 * No English-speaking nation is represented in Edirne. There are Consulates in Istanbul and Embassies in Ankara.
 * 🇧🇬 Bulgaria
 * 🇩🇪 Germany
 * 🇬🇷 Greece
 * 🇷🇴 Romania

Go next

 * Uzunköprü, literally "the long bridge", has a remarkable 15th century stone bridge of 174 arches.
 * Keşan further south is just a transport hub, but you have to go that way to reach the beach resorts along the Gulf of Saros.
 * Down the Gallipoli peninsula, the 1915 battlefields and memorials are near Eceabat.
 * Istanbul is the must-see metropolis to the southeast.
 * Kapıkule on the border with Bulgaria, and Pazarkule on the border with Greece, are both just a few kilometres away.