The Architecture Heritage of Edirne

Situated in Thrace (Trakya) on the European side of the Marmara Region of Turkey, the city of Edirne is today important as a border city that ranks as a cultural and university center. Because it served as one of the Ottoman Empire’s three historical capital cities (the others being Bursa and Istanbul), the city is an open-air museum with very important monuments and architectural elements. Among the historical buildings still extant are mosques, charity complexes, bridges, old shop buildings, caravansaries, palaces, historical houses, and their quarters.

Developing out of its former role as an old Byzantine fortress, the city advanced greatly as a Turkish-Muslim city during the Ottoman Empire. Its development was significantly boosted by construction and improvements ordered by the successive sultans, in their first-degree positions, and by high-ranking state officials of second and third-degree positions. The significance of the role they played in the development of the city is evident from the fact that they gave their names to many neighborhoods.

The concept of centralization became the catalyst for a significant change in the old Paleo-Christian fortress city of Edirne. Ottoman monuments and shopping areas began to cluster in the northeastern corner of the city. Within a period of 200 years after the Turkish conquest, Edirne had acquired the look of a developed city with new districts and inhabited quarters.

Edirne’s form is the result of three distinct types of urban development specific to the three periods of urban history: Roman/Byzantine, Ottoman, and Modern. The Roman/Byzantine form was included in the Ottoman city, which took on a more homogeneous form in the modern era.

Developing out of its former role as an old Byzantine fortress, the city advanced greatly as a Turkish-Muslim city in the Ottoman Empire. The main means of growth resulted from the establishment of benevolent facilities managed by a charitable foundation. These charitable foundations, known as Wakfs, had a significant impact on facilitating the shift towards settled living in both Anatolia and Rumelia. The advancement was greatly enhanced by the buildings, constructions and enhancement efforts directed by the successive sultans and prominent state members of varying levels of authority (second-degree, and third-degree officials of the state). Edirne was established based on the formula that declares, “there is a mosque in the center of the neighborhood and the neighborhood is a physical unit as well as a social unit”, and this type of settlement approach was then implemented in most neighborhoods. The chapter examines the various original establishments, such as mosques, baths, fountains, and soup kitchens, as well as the layout of settlements.

Today, the old neighborhoods within each district have amalgamated to create novel neighborhoods. The fundamental constituents of the old neighborhoods in the nine regions encompassing public kitchens, mosques, baths, charitable endowments, thoroughfares, and residences endure in certain neighborhoods to a certain extent, whereas in other areas, they have become entirely extinct.

In the existing housing settlements, one can see the effect of traditional Anatolian housing types, Hilani and Megaron, in the plans of houses in the outer districts, and even in the city center. Plan types with outer sofas could have one, two, three, or four rooms, while two- and three-roomed examples are more common.

The goal of this chapter is the investigation of old neighborhoods (mahalle), streets, and houses of the city center and old outer districts (bölge) of the inner Edirne region. One of the goals of this study is to expose the growth and development of the inner districts of the Edirne region without overlooking the existing values. In this context, original establishments (mosques, baths, fountains, soup kitchens, etc) and the settlement layout (streets and neighborhoods) have been fixed on the existing maps of the district. The first and second groups of Edirne neighborhoods were investigated in terms of their history, neighbor relations, and historical house type. The new neighborhoods of Edirne that make up the third group are continuing to expand from the eastern portions of the city towards the Edirne plateau.

The data for this study were collected by means of documents gathered from various institutions, a field study and observations, in situ photography, and a visual survey carried out in the central and historic districts of Edirne. Maps of different scales were obtained for the settlements, on which the positions of the existing original establishments were then drawn. Original establishments such as mosques, baths, fountains, soup kitchens, etc, and the settlement layout (streets and neighborhoods) have been drawn on the existing maps of districts. The plans of some historical residences were drawn with various dimensions and these structures and the historical streets on which they stand were all photographed. Housing types selected from different neighborhoods were analyzed.

The goal of this chapter is the investigation of old neighborhoods (mahalle), streets, and houses of old outer districts (bölge) of the inner Edirne region. One of the goals of this study then is to expose the growth and development of the inner districts of the Edirne region without overlooking the existing values. In this context, original establishments (mosques, baths, fountains, soup kitchens, etc) and the settlement layout (streets and neighborhoods) have been fixed on the existing maps of the district. The first and second groups of Edirne neighborhoods were investigated in terms of their history, neighbor relations, and historical house type. The new neighborhoods of Edirne that make up the third group are continuing to expand from the eastern portions of the city towards the Edirne plateau.

Original establishments such as mosques, baths, fountains, soup kitchens, etc. and the settlement layout (streets and neighborhoods) have been drawn on the existing maps of districts. The plans of some historical residences were drawn with various dimensions and these structures and the historical streets on which they stand were all photographed. Housing types selected from different neighborhoods were analyzed.

During those years, when Edirne served as the capital city of the Ottoman Empire, it was also a leading center for skilled trades and the production of various artifacts. Edirne was especially known for its wood carving, lacquered bowls and boxes, floral paintings, book covers, calligraphy and engraving, and tombstone carving. Very few of these trades have survived to the present.

It is a unique location as a crossroad of civilizations has bequeathed Edirne with a rich heritage of folk lore and music. Edirne cuisine has its own cooking techniques and eating habits. Fruits and vegatables are used more in this kitchen.

Festivals in Edirne were organized for the benefit of large crowds of people, rahter than for a wealthy minority such as it was custom at the European Royal celebrations. We can easily say that these celebrations have been a part of the daily life of the people. Concerning festivities were organized on various occasions and the celebrations of the professional guilds, such as weddings or inaugurations. The city is very rich in terms of natural beauty. Among these, the most important ones are Inner Palace Grounds, the cypress grounds, and banks of the Maritsa and Tunca rivers.