Reading list | Edirne

Once known as Adrianople or Hadrianopolis, Edirne was the first capital of the Ottoman empire, from 1363 until 1453 when Mehmed II conquered Constantinople, so it is not surprising that it has some impressive architecture. He built a palace, partially restored, and a little morre than a century later Selimiye Mosque, taller than Haghia Sofia, was built by Turkey's greatest master architect, Mimar Sinan. Many other minarets and spires prick the sky.  Caravansari and bazaars have survived and Its bridges are famous, too. The traditional religious mix of the region is recalled in Bulgarian Orthodox churches and a Grand Synagogoue, reopened in 2015. A Monument and Museum to the Treaty of Lausane, which redifined the Greek-Turkish borders, are in an annexe to Karaağaç Railway Station.