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Selimiye Cami Review

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Selimiye Cami

Address: Hürriyet Meyd., Edirne

Selimiye Mosque

Category: Religious Sites
Location: Edirne

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Fodor's Review:

Edirne's Selimiye Cami (Selimiye Mosque), not to be confused with Istanbul's Süleymaniye, is the mosque Sinan described as his masterpiece, and it's certainly one of the most beautiful buildings in Turkey. It stands out from afar on the Thracian plain, virtually a symbol of the city. Sinan was 85 years old when the mosque was completed in 1574, and today a statue of the architect stands in front, though the mosque remains his greatest monument. Outside, four identical and slender minarets rise high, each with three balconies. Inside, the harmony and peacefulness of the space are immediately striking: The central dome, more than 100 feet in diameter and 148 feet high, rests on eight pillars that have been set into the walls so as not to disturb the spacious interior, and external buttresses help support the weight of 999 windows—legend has it that Sultan Selim thought 1,000 might be a bit greedy. The minarets are said to be the tallest in the Muslim world. The medrese (mosque compound) houses Edirne's Türk-Islâm Eserleri Müzesi (Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art), which displays Islamic calligraphy and other remnants of the city's Islamic past.

Cost: Free
Open: Daily sunrise-sunset

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