"Thrace" in Greek mythology

The city has witnessed 16 battles and the rise and fall of four empires in its more than 1,900-year history. This speaks volumes about the importance of this ancient metropolis.

A view of Selimiye Cathedral.

Cultural sediment

Edirne is located in northeastern Türkiye, in the land that Greek mythology calls "Thrace". The city lies at the confluence of three rivers: Tundzha, Maritsa, and Arda.

Edirne is located more than 200km from Istanbul, near the border between Türkiye, Greece, and Bulgaria, so most tourists choose to fly to Istanbul or Sofia airport (Bulgaria) and then take a bus to Edirne. A few who prefer sightseeing buy train tickets, with the train from Villach (Austria) to Edirne taking 33 hours and famous for the scenic views it passes through.

Edirne is among the Turkish cities with the most mosques. The most famous is the Selimiye Mosque, a UNESCO World Heritage site recognized in 2011.

Selimiye Cathedral was designed by the architectural "master" Mimar Sinan (1488-1588) and is famous for its four graceful towers, which are also symbols of Edirne. Beneath the cathedral's magnificent dome lies an interior decorated with ornate tiles and calligraphic paintings on the walls. Thanks to its 999 open windows, the interior is always brightly lit, and the decorative details on the walls and floor look incredibly vibrant. Aside from prayer times, Selimiye Cathedral is open to the public free of charge.

The history of Edirne begins in 125 AD, when Emperor Hadrian ordered the construction of the city of Hadrianopolis. Today, only a few remnants from the time when the city was still called Hadrianopolis remain in Edirne, such as the Makedonya Kulesi archaeological site. This was originally a fortress built during Hadrian's reign in the 2nd century to guard the route to and from Macedonia.

Because of its strategic value, this structure witnessed many fierce battles. However, an earthquake in 1953 destroyed almost the entire fortress, leaving only a watchtower and a section of the wall. Next to the ruins is a museum displaying artifacts related to the fortress's history.

The Makedonya Kulesi ruins are located not far from the old town of Edirne, also known as Kaleiçi, meaning "inner city." This name dates back to when Edirne was a small city enclosed within four city walls. Kaleiçi was destroyed in a fire in the 19th century and completely rebuilt. All the beautiful wooden houses in Kaleiçi were built during that reconstruction. Only a few structures remain after the fire, such as the Sokullu Mehmet Paşa Hamamı public bathhouse. This is another work by Mimar Sinan and continues to be open to visitors.

Homeland of the festival

In Edirne, there are two covered markets (bazaars) that visitors shouldn't miss. The first is the Arasta Market, located right next to Selimiye Cathedral. The second is the Ali Pasha Market, situated on the Saraçlar pedestrian street. Edirne is a major commercial center of Southern Europe, and market-goers will easily find a vast array of goods from Turkey, Greece, and the Balkan countries.

However, the most popular items among tourists are still local products. These include the beautiful brooms that locals once bought as dowries for their daughters and which have now become popular decorative furniture items, or the fruit-scented soaps shaped like bananas and apples.

Dishes made from pork and lamb liver are specialties of Edirne. Instead of kebab vendors, Edirne has food carts selling fried liver served with bread and ayran (a traditional yogurt drink). The fried liver is so popular that the city government organizes a Music and Fried Liver Festival at the end of April every year.

Edirne has a long tradition of military music, and during the festival, musical groups from Southern European countries perform almost continuously in the streets of Edirne. Then, on the final day of the festival, the city holds a foie gras feast in Saraçlar, distributing over a ton of foie gras for free in a single day. At the 2018 festival, local chefs set a Guinness World Record by frying 600kg of lamb foie gras in a giant pan.

Edirne is also home to the traditional wrestling sport of yağlı güreş. A unique feature is that both wrestlers must apply olive oil to their entire bodies before competing. A match can last up to 40 minutes and has a humorous element to it, rather than being just a simple sporting competition, which is why more and more foreigners are choosing to practice yağlı güreş. The biggest yağlı güreş wrestling tournament of the year is held at the Kırkpınar Stadium in Edirne at the end of June each year.

If tourists want to spend their summer vacation in Edirne, they should visit the city in early May when the Hıdırellez and Kakava festivals take place.

Hıdırellez is a Muslim festival, while Kakava is a Roma festival. Over time, the two festivals have merged and are now considered the spring festival. During the festivals, local and international artists perform singing and dancing throughout the streets, especially along the Tundzha River, where many rose bushes are grown (Hıdırellez is associated with a legend related to roses). In the evening, people light large bonfires, which, according to Roma beliefs, is a way to welcome spring. It is estimated that around 10,000 foreign visitors come to Edirne each year to participate in the Hıdırellez and Kakava festivals.

Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/edirne-xu-thrace-trong-than-thoai-hy-lap-698798.html