Add dates

Selimiye Mosque

Selimiye Mosque: Our most recommended tours and activities

Istanbul: Day Trip to Edirne

1. Istanbul: Day Trip to Edirne

You will depart from your hotel in the early morning, at which point you will make your way towards Eski Camii. The structure was built of cut stone and brick between 1402-14, with fine white marble and decorative calligraphy on the interior walls and pillars. Üç Serefeli Camii, the name of the mosque, was derived from the three balconies on the southeast minaret. Each balcony is reached by a separate stairway, and 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 15th century. Selimiye Mosque Edirne’s crowning glory was built for Selim II, (1566-74) by Sinan who was the architect of the Abode of Felicity for 50 years. It was the masterpiece of Sinan’s old age, and its symmetrical design was strongly emphasized by the four minarets and the soaring rise of the central dome. Semiz Ali Pasa Arasta is also the work of Sinan. Completed in 1589, it is a long tunnel-like building with shops on both sides. There you may buy one of Edirne’s specialities, soap shaped like fruit or vegetables. Meric Bridge (New Bridge) was constructed at the junction of the Meriç and Arda rivers between 1842-1847. Kule Kapisi (a 12th-century 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 (1118-1143) as 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 with musical therapy. At the conclusion of your historic tour, you will be returned back to your point of origin. (Selimiye Mosque is closed to visitors until 2025 as it is under repair)

1 activities found
Sort by:

Other Sightseeing Options in Selimiye Mosque

Want to discover all there is to do in Selimiye Mosque? Click here for a full list.

What people are saying about Selimiye Mosque

Overall rating

5.0 / 5

based on 5 reviews

A nice day trip to Edirne which allows you to see Selimiye and several more old beautiful mosques, an Ottoman-era hospital, as well as the fascinating Meriç Bridge (right at sunset, in our case). Moreover, a hearty and delicious lunch is included in the tour price. I'd like to thank our guide, Tülay Șanlıdal, for an interesting excursion, as well as the driver for his skilled driving through narrow streets.

The Selimiye mosque and complex was the best, biggest and most beautiful one that I’ve visited so far anywhere in the world. Also The Health Museum of the Sultan Bayezid II was absolutley fascinating, as it unearths many roots of today’s modern medical and homeopathic practices.

Great one-day toue to Edirne stopping at all the most beautiful mosques and the medical complex. Guide was well informed and the day went off without a hitch.