Edirne is an exciting, interesting town which combines European and Oriental spirit at the same time. For a while, it was the capital of the Ottoman Empire. The road to Edirne passes through fields and sedge-rimmed pools reflecting blue sky and fluffy clouds, presenting you spectacular pictures for much of the way. In the early evening you may be rewarded by the sight of a livid, apocalyptic sunset like those found in the canvases of some medieval German painters. We invite you for a memorable adventure.

The tour starts at 7AM when the bus picks up at the hotel. By 10am we will reach the city of Edirne and spend next few hours sightseeing with an hour lunch break around midday. We will see Eski Camii which was built of cut stones and bricks in 1402-14 with fine white marble portal and decorative calligraphy on the interior walls and pillars.

We will also see Üç Serefeli Camii whose name was derived from the three balconies on the southeast minaret. Each balcony is reached by a separate stairway. The decorative tile designs on the minarets are all different. The minarets were the most important development in the structure of the mosque in the fifteenth century.

Selimiye Mosque, Edirne’s crowning glory, was built for Selim II. (1566-74) by Sinan, who had been the architect of the Abode of Felicity for 50 years. It was the masterpiece of Sinan’s old age. The symmetrical design is strongly emphasized by the four minarets and the soaring rise of the central dome.

Meric bridge (New Bridge) was constructed at the junction of Meriç and Arda rivers in between 1842 – 1847.

Kule Kapisi (12 C Tower Gate) is all that remains of the tower which once protected the principal gate of the citadel. It was rebuilt by the Byzantine emperor John Comnenus II (1118-43) as a part of his repair of the Hadrianic defensive system.

Beyazit Kulliyesi is the largest in Edirne; the complex had a mosque and a hospital which was famous for the skill of its surgeons. In the octagonal, domed timarhane, the insane were treated by musical therapy.

The program will be finished by 15:30 and we will head back to Istanbul, where we’ll arrive around 6 pm and will be transferred directly to our hotel.