Itinerary in Adrianoupoli-Edirne

A weekend in nearby Andrianoupolis was the reason for this trip. We started from Thessaloniki and after about five hours we arrived in Andrianoupolis passing through the Greek-Turkish border and specifically from Kastanies. After settling into our hotel in Rys (amazing and with a view of the whole city) we started for our first acquaintance with the city.

This city is a historical city of today's Turkey, in Eastern Thrace, very close to the borders with Greece and Bulgaria. It was founded by Orestes according to mythology and had the name Orestiada. It was renamed Adrianople by Emperor Hadrian, who founded the city in 125 AD. and which was the capital of the Ottoman empire for about 90 years. Later the administration of the state was transferred to Constantinople in 1453.

It has impressive mosques, traditional Turkish hammams, museums as well as bazaars and markets that make it a very interesting tourist destination.

On this trip we visited the Selimiye Mosque, considered one of the greatest masterpieces of Ottoman and Turkish architecture. It was built between 1568-1574 and has four minarets, which are about 70 m high. It was created by Sinan, an Ottoman architect of the 16th century, and includes a school, a covered market, a library and a clock. Sinan even considered Selimiye his best work. Today it is included in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

The next must see is the 1414 Eski Mosque located in the center of the city and founded by Emir Suleiman. In fact, due to its location, it was the religious and commercial center of Adrianople at that time.

But what really stands out is the Health Museum in the Sultan Bayezid II complex. Bayezid Külliyesi, built between 1484 – 1488 by the 8th Ottoman Emperor Sultan Bayezid II who was the son of Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror, is one of the most important historical buildings in Edirne.

It covers a large area which includes a mosque, hospital, baths, imaret, kitchen, warehouses, etc. This museum has almost 100 domes. In its center dominates a monumental mosque with a single dome and 2 minarets, while on the western side is the old hospital building which has now been converted into a museum dedicated to the history of medicine and health issues and belongs to the Trakya University of Edirne. Initially the hospital received various patients, but then it treated patients with mental illnesses whom they even tried to cure with music, hydrotherapy, herbs as well as medication. It is an interesting and very different museum in which you will see topics related to surgery, proper nutrition, while the section with venomous snake antidotes is impressive.

Andrianoupolis is also famous for its shopping in the famous indoor markets or bazaars. The most notable are the Ali Paşa, built in 1560 by Hersekli Semiz Ali Pasha, the one in the Selimiye mosque complex and the Bedesten near the Eski mosque.

The city is also known for its flavors, so between mosques, bazaars and hammams, try their macaroons, pistachio cookies, loukumi, kaimaki ice cream and of course the buttery pistachio-style Aegina baklava. The city itself is famous for its fried meatballs and liver, so don't miss them. The gyro (doner) is also special, as well as the natural fruit juice that you will find on the street from various hawkers. I tried the pomegranate.

Of course you should also visit a Turkish hammam. One of the old traditional baths is the Saray Hamami, the only one left from the first palace after the fall of Edirne. You will find more in the city.

Finally, a passage through the modern city is worth it as you will see many tall buildings that are in complete contrast to the old city and thus compare the past with the future.

Then we also visited Karagatsi, the old Orestiada. Karagatsi, known in Greek as Old Orestiada, is a suburb of Edirne in northwestern Turkey on the border with Greece. Karagatsi is 4 km away. southwest from the center of Adrianople, opposite the river Evros and opposite the Greek village of Kastanies. It is a wonderful suburb of Andrianoupolis-Edirne, with trees, water and a very nice climate. Here we admired the wonderful Train Station with the well-preserved locomotive and carriage of the Orian Express, which are open to visitors.

Here there is also the School of Fine Arts with 9000 students. The Greek element is very evident in the beautiful houses, which are well preserved with various uses now (hotels, cafes, restaurants, shops) and of course there is the monument of the Treaty of Lausanne with which in 1923 Orestiada passed to Turkey.

Edirne is a tourist destination that will impress you with its flavors and aromas as well as its architectural achievements and its history.