EDIRNE:FRONTIER CAPITAL
The 17th century Turkish poet Nef'î declared,
'Is Edirne a city, or the rosegarden of heaven?' and in the 20th
century Professor Suheyl Unver, author of many books about cultural
history, said that loving Edirne was a form of worship. Admittedly,
the paradise-like gardens of Edirne which so influenced both have
now disappeared, but Edirne is still a city of great interest, with
its old houses, mosques, kervansarays, imarets (public kitchens),
bridges, fountains, churches, mansions, towers, hans, hamams and
bazaar. This city of great antiquity, known as Adrianople to the
Romans, is like an openair museum. The most celebrated monument
of all is Selimiye Mosque built by the 16th century architect Mimar
Sinan. Its graceful minarets soaring into the sky right in the centre
of the city, the graceful interior and imposing exterior of this
mosque are equally enchanting.
Following the Ottoman conquest of Edirne in 1361, the city succeeded
Bursa as capital of the empire.
Even after the conquest of Istanbul nearly a century
later, Edirne retained much of its importance as the second city
of the empire, and the sultans spent many months of the year living
in the palace here. As a result, some of the foremost examples of
both early and classical Ottoman architecture are to be found in
the city. The 17th century writer Evliya Celebi declared his intention
of counting all the public buildings in Edirne, but gave up after
estimating the mosques alone to number 314. With so many mosques,
the mind boggles at the probable number of other buildings! Another
Ottoman writer, Badi Efendi, in his book entitled Edirne, Land of
Paradise, recorded that there were 49 medreses, 46 dervish lodges,
103 mausoleums, nine imarets, four bazaars, 24 hans, 16 hamams,
13 sebils (fountains for the distribution of drinking water), 124
street fountains and eight bridges.
Edirne's inhabitants will tell you that the city
is most famous for 'the architecture of Selimiye, the inscriptions
of Eski Mosque, and the door of Uc Serefeli Mosque'.
Eski (Old) Mosque was built in 1414 by Sultan Celebi
Mehmed (1413-1421). This lovely example of the early Ottoman architecture
of Anatolia is celebrated for the inscriptions inside the prayer
hall. Another 15th century Ottoman mosque, the Muradiye, built by
Murad II (1421-1451), has the most magnificent painted wall decoration
of this period and a beautiful tiled prayer niche. Uc Serefeli Mosque,
founded by the same sultan, is not only famed for its door, but
for its dome and ornately carved minarets with their flutes, diamonds
and zigzag designs.
Just outside the city on the banks of the Tunca river is the building
known as Yeni Imaret or the Kulliye of Bayezid II, a mosque complex
dating from 1484. Both the mosque, with its beautiful architecture
and painted decoration on wood in the style known as Edirnekâri,
and the hospital belonging to the complex are of great interest.
In an age when mental patients could not expect much sympathy, this
hospital treated psychiatric disorders with music and the sound
of water. No trace remains of the Eski Saray, or Old Palace, where
Mehmed II the Conqueror (1451-1481) was born, and only a few buildings
and ruins from the Yeni Saray or New Palace which he built are to
be seen today on the banks of the Tunca. Next to the palace is the
famous Kirpinar Meydani wrestling field, whose history goes back
over six centuries, and where grease wrestling tournaments are still
held in early July every year.
 The
oldest quarter of Edirne, known as Kaleici because it stood within
the city walls, still has the character of a typical Ottoman city,
and beyond it the new city stretches from the old bus station as
far as the Medical Faculty of Trakya University. In the years just
after the conquest, the non-Muslim inhabitants lived in Kaleici,
while the Muslim neighbourhoods grew up around Selimiye Mosque.
Today traditional Turkish houses can still be seen in the old quarter
of the city.
Lying as it does in close proximity to three rivers - the Meric,
Tunca and Arda - bridges are prominent features of the cityscape.
To reach Karaagac, an outlying suburb of Edirne,
you must cross two historic bridges over the Tunca and Meric rivers.
The most striking of these is the Meric Bridge or Yeni Bridge constructed
in place of the former timber bridge in 1847. These lead to a broad
cobbled avenue lined by tall trees which is said to have once been
called Capital Road. The former Karaagac Train Station is an attractive
building which now has a very different role as home to the Rectorate
of Trakya University and to the Lausanne Museum containing memorabilia
relating to the Lausanne Treaty. Next to the station building is
the Lausanne Monument, perhaps the only monument commemorating the
treaty.
Although Edirne at one time boasted 13 kervansarays for the use
of merchants, today only a few are still standing, the most impressive
of these being Rustem Pasa Kervansaray. The commercial heart of
Edirne still beats in the old bazaars known as Bedesten, Arasta
and Ali Pasa Carsisi.
Much else could be related about the city, but perhaps
we should conclude by looking briefly at Edirne's distinctive cuisine.
Tarhana soup, made of yogurt, flour and herbs, is as popular here
today as it was at the sultan's table, and there are several renowned
varieties of helva, particularly deva-i misk helva, made of high
fat ewe's milk cheese and famous throughout Turkey. Both the modern
cafés and traditional coffee houses around the university
and in the central shopping districts are lively meeting places
for people of all ages. Edirne's inhabitants are friendly and sociable,
and the conversation hums as glasses of tea and cups of coffee come
and go. This is a city which has been accustomed to visitors from
near and far over the centuries, and although times have changed
in many ways, traditional hospitality is still very much a part
of life here.
Abdullah Kilic is a journalist
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