Old Mosque, Edirne

Overview

The Edirne Old Mosque, Eski Cami in Turkish, was the first great mosque of the city. Emir Süleyman, a son of Sultan Bayezid I, began it in 1403, and his brother Çelebi Mehmed finished it in 1414. Nine domes cover its square prayer hall. Inside, large calligraphy fills the piers and walls, and a preacher's chair stands that no imam uses. It is still a working mosque. Our Ottoman capitals tour in 6 days stops here in Edirne.

Where the Edirne Old Mosque stands

The mosque lies in the center of Edirne, among the early mosques of the sultans. From the Selimiye Mosque, you can walk there, and the Üç Şerefeli Mosque stands close by.

Quick facts

• Good for: early Ottoman architecture, calligraphy, living traditions of the sultans' city
• Best combined with: the Selimiye, the Üç Şerefeli Mosque, the Ali Paşa Bazaar

History of the Edirne Old Mosque

Begun by one prince, finished by another

Work began in 1403 under Emir Süleyman. After his death, his brother Çelebi Mehmed, the future Sultan Mehmed I, completed the mosque in 1414. An inscription over a side door names the builders: the architect Konyalı Hacı Alâeddin and his journeyman Ömer, son of İbrahim.

Why it is called the Old Mosque

At first, the mosque had no need for the word "old." Then Murad II built the Üç Şerefeli Mosque nearby, and the earlier building became Eski Cami, the Old Mosque. As the first great mosque of the city, it held the banner of the conquest on its pulpit. So the state held its ceremonies here as well.

Inside the Edirne Old Mosque

Nine domes on four piers

The square hall covers 2,116 square meters (22,800 square feet). Above it, nine domes rest on four massive piers, so the room reads as a grid of nine bays. Outside, the first minaret, with one balcony, rises at a corner of the mosque. Later, a taller minaret with two balconies was added on its own, and each balcony has its own stair.

Calligraphy and the Kaaba stone

When you walk in, large calligraphy greets you on the piers and the walls. Then look at the marble pulpit, carved with rumi and geometric patterns and a band of verses from the Quran. On the wall to the right of the mihrab (the niche that shows the direction of prayer), a stone is set into the masonry. Tradition says it came from the Kaaba in Mecca, so locals call it the Kaaba stone.

Swords, sermons and a preacher's chair

Two Ottoman sultans, Ahmed II and Mustafa III, girded on their swords in this mosque. Because of that custom, the imam still goes up to the Friday sermon with a sword in hand. In the reign of Murad II, Hacı Bayram (a religious or national holiday) Veli came to Edirne and preached here. Out of respect for him, imams do not use his preaching chair.

Visiting the Edirne Old Mosque

How to visit the Edirne Old Mosque

The Edirne Old Mosque is a working place of worship, open to visitors with no ticket. Dress modestly, and plan your visit outside prayer times, above all the Friday noon prayer. We add the Old Mosque of Edirne to your route through the city.

Before you go

On our Edirne day, you start at the Selimiye. Then we walk to the Old Mosque and on to the Üç Şerefeli, the Mosque of the Three Balconies. You stroll through the Ali Paşa Bazaar before a lunch of fried liver. In the afternoon, we cross to the Complex of Sultan Bayezid II by the Tunca River. For the city as a whole, see our Edirne guide, and if you are choosing between two old capitals, read Bursa or Edirne.

Updated: October 26, 2026.

Seeing the Edirne Old Mosque with Us

Would you like to see where the sultans girded their swords? Our Edirne day trip from Istanbul takes you from the Selimiye to the Edirne Old Mosque and the bazaar of Ali Paşa. Edirne is a long day from Istanbul, so we set an early pickup once we have your date.