I’ve been dreaming about Edirne for a long time. When I watched the Turkish TV series "The Magnificent Century", I imagined the palace of Sultan Suleiman. They always sent future heirs to the throne there with their mothers, so that they could gain their first experience in ruling the empire independently...
I imagined the luxury of the palace, the beautiful gardens where the wives of the Turkish sultan lived and walked. I really love visiting historical castles, imagining the life that was there in ancient times, feeling the spirit of past centuries...
When I arrived in Turkey in my car in November last year, I crossed the border Bulgaria - Turkey at the Malko - Tarnovo point. I could not stop in Edirne, because I was in a hurry to Istanbul.
The dream came true unexpectedly.
I had to send my broken car to Ukraine at the Kapıkale border crossing, which is 17 km from Edirne. It was a happy moment in my sad story. Finally I would see this city, this cradle of history!
So we flew to Istanbul, rented a car, and drove 240 km across the Bosphorus Bridge. We arrived late at night on a small, cozy street where our Airbnb apartment was.
The mysterious lonely wooden house was here. It made me wonder again how relatively the borders between countries are! When I was in an ancient Bulgarian city Old Nessebar, I noticed this amazing wooden architecture. And here in the territory of a border Turkish city I saw this house... as if I were in Bulgaria. But the language is Turkish. Only languages are clearly delimited by borders between countries. But the inhabitants of border cities always understand the language of the neighboring country perfectly.
We entered the house and were pleasantly surprised by the beautiful cozy atmosphere of this Apart Hotel "Garden's Room". Being in the city of Sivas, we could not rent on Airbnb, because there were no offers! And here is such a nice, wonderful atmosphere, our favorite wooden style, orange and gray color of bed linen, a wonderful wide comfortable bed, from which you do not want to get out 😊.
And a very cute exotic orange electric kettle. Us girls enjoy such adorable design elements!
Everything is done according to standards. The shower cabin is high-quality, and there is hot water! This is such a rarity for central Turkey, where the housing rental service needs improvement. We had a very good rest and stayed for a second night.
We went out in the morning. It was a beautiful, sunny day. Under the blue sky, the buildings formed unforgettable scenes that have remained a warm memory in my heart from those two days in Edirne. I love the city's small, two-story historic districts, where each house has its own unique look.
We drove to the city center and I saw this magnificent Üç Şerefeli Mosque. There was a car park nearby and we stayed for an hour to enjoy this fascinating place that radiated grandeur and harmony.
A Turkish woman was sitting on the steps, the mosque was singing, the three domes against the blue sky looked like antennas to the sky.
We climbed the stairs and entered the door in the form of an arch with a masterpiece of ornamentation created from red and white stone!
Inside, I was struck by the light and tranquility that reigned in every corner. The ornate domes, the graceful arabesques, the perfect proportions... everything radiates the wisdom and luxury of the Ottoman Empire.
I wanted to stand, leaning against this mighty marble column, gaining the strength of this majestic temple, which I really needed right now...
This unique mosque was built in the 15th century, during the reign of Sultan Murad II, and is one of the first architectural works of the Ottoman era in Edirne.
Its name, “Üç Şerefeli”, which means “with three balconies”, comes from the unique minaret decorated with three overlapping balconies.
We slowly walked inside this unique historical building, examining each pattern between the columns, which were so diverse, not similar to each other.
Turkish mosques can truly be called architectural masterpieces. The Turks received a rich historical heritage from their majestic ancestors.
Three Balconied Mosque
Üç Şerefeli Camii
Edirne, Turkey
We were truly filled with the harmony and beauty of the majestic mosque, and set off to explore another place - the famous Edirne Palace, which was shown in the TV series "Magnificent Century". I dreamed of seeing the gardens where the harem women walked, of feeling the atmosphere of the palace where the sultans lived. But it turned out that this palace was closed, it was being restored!
The palace is located on the banks of the Tundzha River. The river flows through the entire city and has several ancient stone bridges from the Ottoman era. Among them, the most famous is the Saratchane Bridge.
We were driving across this bridge. Having parked the car nearby, we decided to take a walk. We enjoyed the sunny weather. Flowers were growing all around. It was nice to walk slowly, realizing that Ottoman soldiers on horses once moved here. The cobblestones of the bridge are still preserved, remembering historical events...
Saraçhane bridge was built on the Tundja River in the northwest of the city. In 1451, Şahabettin Pasha, one of the important statesmen of the Murad II period, built it. It is 120 meters long and 5 meters wide.
In the middle of the bridge stands a beautiful stone slab containing an arch and an inscription, surmounted by a crown. The inscription on the marble slab is in Ottoman Turkish, an old Arabic script.
We enjoyed the walk very much. Through the chicory flowers, the palace could be seen in the distance. I took one photo through the mesh fence.
We continued our journey, and after a few kilometers, another amazing ancient building caught my eye. We stopped to learn more about this building. It turned out: we accidentally saw another Ottoman pearl!
Beyazit II Mosque Complex
Beyazıt Iı Külliyesi
Edirne, Turkey
It turned out to be a mosque built by Bayezid II. A beautiful historical area, among pine trees.
Incredibly beautiful pictures - roses against the backdrop of historic buildings.
There were buildings here that housed a museum. But we didn't have time to explore it. My daughters went into the courtyard of the mosque.
I sat on the steps at the entrance to the majestic wooden doors, which I called "the doors to the past century".
I sat and enjoyed the play of two little kittens, against the background of historical stones, overgrown with centuries-old moss...
We saw the famous Selimiye Mosque at night, returning to our apartment. It was breathtakingly beautiful. The next morning we arrived, sat down in the restaurant opposite, in order to have time to do two things before our departure to Istanbul:
Take a memorable photo against the background of this architectural masterpiece!
And taste a famous dish from the city of Edirne is "Edirne ciğeri", or "Edirne tava ciğeri" - fried liver in Edirne style.
It is thinly sliced beef (or veal) liver, breaded in flour and deep-fried until crispy. It is usually served with hot peppers, adjika, and onion salad.
Edirne is Bulgarian Turkey. Here the architecture and culture of the two countries are intertwined, as always in border cities. I spent two wonderful days here and I am delighted with everything I saw and felt here!
Our #TheLongestTrip continues.
Thank you to everyone who reads about our adventures!♥️