Excursion Route 2 - From the Üç şerefeli Mosque to the Selimiye

Sokullu Mehmet Pasha Bath, (Semiz) Ali Pasha Caravanserai (Market), Rüstem Pasha Caravanserai, Sultan Selim (Selimiye) Complex, Defterdar Mahmut Pasha Mosque

All of Sinan’s buildings you will visit in Edirne can easily be reached on foot within one day.  Yet to see everything in Edirne, which was one of the three Ottoman capitols, a single day may not be quite enough.  Here, we will mainly consider visiting Sinan’s works, but also give hints on other historical structures in the city. 

Semiz Ali Paşa market

Comprehensive studies on Sinan can be viewed in three main sections:  “Before Sinan”, “Sinan Period”, and “After Sinan”.  Without doubt, Sinan heavily depended on the heritage that existed before him and he strove to develop and maintain this heritage.  We recommend starting your walking tour of Edirne with some of the significant buildings that existed before him to better understand the architectural heritage he succeeded.  The first stop for this is the Üç Serefeli Mosque, built during the Mid-15th Century.  Historians of art and architecture consider this building to be a pivotal point, where a leap forward occurred in Ottoman architecture.  The main reason for this change is due to the introduction of a new planning concept - a single space defined by a dome and quite different from the earlier multi-dome plans.

Sinan’s Sokullu Mehmet Pasha Bath is located right across from this very significant building.  Even though a portion of this structure had to be shaved off during road construction, this double bath building still continues to serve the public, with both the men and women’s sections intact.  Walking back to the main road, Londra Asfaltı (Avenue), and crossing the street, you will be near the Ali Pasha Market.  This building was built for Semiz Ali Pasha and remains as one of the liveliest commercial centers.  Visiting this market structure will give you the opportunity to take home some memorabilia from Edirne – all kinds of local handcrafts and products, from mirrored whisks to fruit shaped soaps.

Walking towards the Selimiye from this point, you will pass by the Bedesten (the old covered bazaar) and the Eski (Old) Mosque; both of these structures are dated to the pre-Sinan peiod.  The Old Mosque, especially, distinctly stands out with its superb inscriptions, among all Thracian religious buildings.

In 2006 the Municipality of Edirne created a pedestrian area within the triangle area defined by the walls of the Old Mosque, the Bedesten, and the Rüstem Pasha Caravanserai.  This is an excellent place to rest with a cup of tea.  Following your stop you should be on your way to visit the Rüstem Pasha Caravanserai, which gained accolades with its award winning restoration during the 1970s.  With its two-court plan, today it is also known as the “Caravanserai Hotel” (Kervansaray Oteli).  Even though it is now being used as a hotel, it is open to visitors.  The famous Edirne liver dishes would be quite appetizing for lunch. If you wish to have a taste we recommend asking anyone in Edirne to direct you towards Ciğerci Kazım’s restaurant.

Now it is time for one of the most significant works of world architecture: the Selimiye Complex.  You can spend the whole afternoon touring this magnificent monument.

When you are ready to leave Edirne, stop by the Defterdar Mahmut Pasha Mosque built by Sinan and visit Fatma Hanım’s mausoleum, Sinan’s granddaughter, to get some of the famous almond paste candy for the road.

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