Selimiye Mosque

Overview

Long before you reach Edirne, you see it: four minarets as thin as pencils rising above the plain of Thrace, around a great gray dome. The Selimiye Mosque belongs to the mastery years of Mimar Sinan, and he considered it his best work. Inside, a single dome covers the prayer hall, and light pours in through rows of windows, so the whole building seems to breathe. See also the tomb of Mimar Sinan, by the Süleymaniye.

Sinan called the Selimiye his masterpiece, and its dome rivals Hagia Sophia’s. Inside, a fountain stands under the muezzins’ platform. Edirne is also famous for its fried liver. Our Edirne day trip from Istanbul stops for a lunch of it.

Selimiye Mosque, Sinan’s Masterpiece

The Selimiye Mosque stands on a hill in the center of Edirne, the former Ottoman capital, close to the borders with Greece and Bulgaria. Sultan Selim II, the son of Suleiman the Magnificent, commissioned it. Work began in 1568 and ended in 1574 or 1575. In 2011, the mosque and its complex became a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

A Mosque for Edirne

Sinan’s final challenge

At the Selimiye, Sinan set out to surpass the dome of Hagia Sophia. Sinan had already built the Süleymaniye, and now he wanted to go further. In the Tezkiretü’l-Bünyan, the record of his works, Sinan claimed that this dome surpassed Hagia Sophia’s. In fact, the two domes are close in size, each about 31 meters (102 feet) across or slightly more. Still, the achievement is extraordinary.

Apprentice, journeyman, master

Sinan described three mosques as stages of his career: the Şehzade as his apprentice work, the Süleymaniye as his journeyman work and the Selimiye as his masterpiece. Here he finally created the unified space he had been seeking all his life. One dome rests on eight piers, so the prayer hall opens up as a single space.

Under Sinan’s Dome

The dome of the Selimiye Mosque

Stand in the center, then look up. The dome is about 31 meters (102 feet) across and rests on eight massive piers. Rows of windows on every level flood the space with light.

The muezzins’ platform and its fountain

Directly under the dome stands a raised wooden platform for the muezzins, carried on arches over eleven marble columns. Beneath it, surprisingly, is a small fountain pool. The platform places the muezzins at the heart of the building, where their voices fill the whole space.

The sultan’s loge and the tiles

The sultan’s private gallery is lined with İznik tiles in rich floral designs.

The Selimiye Mosque complex and its museums

Two madrasas belong to the complex. The Dar’ül Kurra madrasa now houses the Selimiye Foundation Museum, while the Dar-ül Hadis madrasa holds the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts. The complex also has the arasta, a covered market street built to bring the mosque an income, and a small primary school next to it.

Edirne Around the Mosque

Edirne, the old capital

Before the Ottomans took Constantinople in 1453, Edirne was their capital, and it still feels like a proud provincial city. Students fill the cafés, while the Selimiye watches over everything from its hill. In front of the mosque, a statue of Sinan still looks up at his masterpiece.

Kırkpınar, the oil wrestling

Every summer, Edirne hosts the Kırkpınar oil wrestling festival on the meadow of Sarayiçi. Wrestlers covered in olive oil compete in a tradition whose legend goes back to the Ottoman conquest of Rumelia in the 14th century. Ask us to confirm the dates before you plan. It is also on the UNESCO list of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Liver and Almond Paste

• Edirne tava ciğeri: the city’s famous fried liver. It has been a registered geographical-indication product since 2010.
• Ciğer sarma: another registered local liver specialty.
• Badem ezmesi: Edirne’s soft almond paste, a classic gift.
• Fruit soaps: Edirne’s scented fruit soap, a registered local product and a classic souvenir.

How to Visit Selimiye Mosque

Visiting the Selimiye Mosque

• Entry: no ticket; visits pause at prayer times.
• Dress code: cover shoulders and knees; women cover their hair; shoes come off.
• Time needed: one hour for the mosque; half a day with the museums and the arasta.

Getting to Edirne

• From Istanbul: about two and a half to three hours by car on the motorway.
• By bus: frequent intercity buses from Istanbul.
• From Bulgaria and Greece: Edirne lies close to both border crossings.

Local tips for the Selimiye Mosque

• Look for the small fountain under the muezzins’ platform.
• Visit the arasta, the mosque’s covered market street with 73 arches.
• Have liver for lunch, because the city’s tava ciğeri is the local specialty.
• Combine Edirne with the Old Mosque, the Üç Şerefeli Mosque and the Bayezid II complex on the river.
• Plan it as a day out with our guide to the best day trips from Istanbul.

Our Edirne day trip brings you here from Istanbul, with the old mosques of the early sultans and lunch on fried liver.