Central Districts, Neighborhoods and Historical Buildings in Present Edirne

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.