Turkiye

Selimiye Mosque

WHS Score 3.47
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Votes 61 Average 3.69
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Votes for Selimiye Mosque

1.0

  • Yevhen Ivanovych

1.5

  • Adrian Turtschi

2.0

  • Csaba Nováczky
  • Zoë Sheng

2.5

  • John Smaranda
  • WILLIAM RICH

3.0

  • Alexander Parsons
  • Christravelblog
  • Clyde
  • Dorejd
  • Evgenii
  • Geert Luiken
  • George Gdanski
  • Ivan Rucek
  • Jeanne OGrady
  • Jonas Hagung
  • JoStof
  • Joyce van Soest
  • lichia
  • Philipp Leu
  • Philipp Peterer
  • Pincze
  • Tarquinio_Superbo
  • Tony H.
  • Wojciech Fedoruk

3.5

  • Alexander Lehmann
  • Hubert
  • Luke LOU
  • Martina Rúčková
  • Max Smits
  • Mihai Dascalu
  • Randi Thomsen
  • Svein Elias

4.0

  • Astraftis
  • David Berlanda
  • Els Slots
  • Krijn
  • Mike
  • Mirasworld
  • nan
  • Nick M
  • shoaibmnagi
  • Solivagant

4.5

  • Craig Harder
  • Stanislaw Warwas
  • Thibault Magnien

5.0

  • amitlchoudhuryjbp
  • Argo
  • bergecn
  • BH
  • Bodil Ankerly
  • Can SARICA
  • Farinelli
  • ferhatdonmez
  • Fmaiolo@yahoo.com
  • Persian Globetrotter
  • Rafał Kałczuga
  • Sofia SJM
  • StaziG
  • Thomas Harold Watson
  • Yamen

The Selimiye Mosque and its Social Complex in Edirne are considered the pinnacle of the career of the most famous Ottoman architect, Sinan.

The mosque was built between 1569 and 1575 and owes its beauty to the symmetry of the building and the optimal lighting inside. It has a large dome surrounded by four 71-meter-high minarets. The adjacent building complex has a social function with a religious background and includes two madrasas, a bazaar, a courtyard and a library.

Community Perspective: Edirne is a pleasant city and worth staying overnight in (don’t do it as a day trip from Istanbul, see Nan’s review why). The mosque has been under renovation for a long time now, but even then it is worth visiting as Els reports.

Site Info

Official Information
Full Name
Selimiye Mosque and its social Complex (ID: 1366)
Country
Turkiye
Status
Inscribed 2011 Site history
History of Selimiye Mosque
2011: Inscribed
Inscribed
WHS Type
Cultural
Criteria
  • i
  • iv
Links
UNESCO
whc.unesco.org
All Links
UNESCO.org
Related Resources
News Article

Community Information

  • Community Category
  • Religious structure: Islamic
Travel Information
One million visitors or more
One million visitors or more
In 2023, we estimate that around 5 million tourists visited Selimiye Mosque. // Nearly …
Undergoing Restoration or Repair
Undergoing Restoration or Repair
Restoration work began in 2021 and is scheduled to be completed in 2025. During …
Free entrance
Recent Connections
View all (27) .
Connections of Selimiye Mosque
Individual People
  • Baha’u’llah
    Between 1843 and 1848, Baha'u'llah, founder of the Baha'i faith was exiled to Adrianople by the Ottomans, and during that period he and his family worshipped regularly at the Selimiye Mosque
Trivia
History
Architecture
  • Designed by Mimar Sinan
    The mosque (completed in 1574) is widely regarded as Sinan's crowning masterpiece (wiki)
  • Domes
    single great dome
  • Glazed tiles
    Iznik tiles
  • Octagons
    The amalgamation of the main hall forms a fused octagon with the dome-covered square (wiki)
  • Muqarnas
    The entrance portal to the mosque's prayer hall has more typical muqarnas canopy (wiki)
  • Spolia
    "... surrounded by a domevaulted colonnade. The six columns on each side are reused from ruins in Cyprus, Aydincik in the vicinity of Kapidagi peninsula, and Syria." (AB ev)
  • Brick architecture
    "masonry with alternating brickwork" (AB ev)
Damaged
  • Destroyed or damaged by Earthquake
    "The earthquake of 1752 caused some damage to the balconies of one minaret, some of the window glass and cracked the dome over the Muvakkithane." (AB ev)
World Heritage Process
Religion and Belief
Constructions
WHS on Other Lists
Timeline
Science and Technology
  • Astronomy and Astrology
    The Muvakkithane (clock house) is located in the northeast corner room ... From here the Muvakkit (timekeepers) prepared the annual calendar and the Ramadan timetable. They also gave basic astronomy lessons when required. (AB)
  • Libraries
    Within the mosque
Visiting conditions
WHS Names
News
dailysabah.com 11/27/2021
Restoration at Edirne's UNESCO-lis…
dailysabah.com 02/09/2018
Selimiye Mosque to go through exte…
hurriyetdailynews.com 07/30/2015
Convicts work as excavators in Sel…
Recent Visitors
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Visitors of Selimiye Mosque
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Community Reviews

Show full reviews
First published: 22/05/23.

Els Slots

Selimiye Mosque

Selimiye Mosque (Inscribed)

Selimiye Mosque by Els Slots

I had been in doubt whether to include the Selimiye Mosque in my Western Turkey itinerary, due to the ongoing renovations (would it be worth visiting anyway in this condition?) and the tiring detour one has to make from Istanbul to get to Edirne. But eventually, I decided to bite the bullet and clear all WHS in this region so I don’t ‘have to’ revisit. I solved the logistical problem by taking a direct bus from Istanbul Airport to Edirne. The company Istanbul Seyahat has one every 2 hours (bookable online via Obilet). The ride takes only 3 hours as this way you avoid the heavy traffic in the Istanbul metropolis.

It had been difficult to find information beforehand about the state of the renovations. I only knew that the mosque would stay open to visitors and worshippers. Well, I found the building completely covered in scaffolding – except for one of the minarets. Still, the sheer size of the building and the delicately slender minarets impressed me.

I then started looking for a way in. From the covered market (also part of the core zone) and a public toilet, you can enter the building near the minaret which is free of scaffolding. My guess would be that only 15% of the interior is currently accessible - the finely carved details and the tiles (all from Iznik) betray the building’s artistic wealth. The rest of the mosque is fully hidden behind cardboard partition walls, on which they have …

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First published: 16/05/18.

nan

Selimiye Mosque by Nan

Selimiye Mosque (Inscribed)

Selimiye Mosque by Nan

After a few days in Turkey the ennui that I generally reserve to Baroque churches had settled in for Ottoman mosques. "You seen one, you have seen them all." I figured. So, you may understand why I really questioned the 6.5h one way trip from Istanbul upon arrival in Edirne.

But the site really won me over as soon as it entered my view and even more so when I stepped into it. The murals and the proportions are stunning. To me it felt as if all of Ottomon architecture was coming together in this great mosque by Sinan.

While You Are There

Edirne having been the second Ottoman capital (after Bursa) has several representative Ottoman buildings to visit. Specifically, the tentative site of Sultan Bayezid II Complex Is well worth the short stroll out of town.

Getting There

I did Edirne in one hellish day trip from Istanbul. The net driving time would be less than three hours. However, you need to get out of Istanbul first and that can easily take an hour or more.

If you travel by bus (as I did), you will also spend significant time getting to the bus station in Istanbul and waiting around (Metro Otogar). I think in total I spent more than 50% of the lengthy trip time in Istanbul (6.5h to, 4.5h back).

Finally, the bus station in Edirne is quite far outside town. Even by cab I would assume this takes 15-20min. By local bus …

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First published: 05/01/14.

Clyde

Selimiye Mosque

Selimiye Mosque (Inscribed)

Selimiye Mosque by Clyde

I visited Edirne in January 2014. It is quite off the beaten track due to its geographic position not far from the borders of Bulgaria and Greece. It is around 238km from Istanbul but well worth a visit. The main highlight of this WHS is the squarish Selimiye Mosque built by Mimar Sinan around 1575. The 4 minarets that adorn this mosque are indeed the tallest in the Muslim world. It is built in the centre of a kulliye, ie. a complex including a hospital, an Islam teaching centre, a bazaar, gardens, a courtyard and also a cemetery.

I enjoyed the fact that the locals are the main inhabitants of this town and tourists are a minority (unlike Istanbul). The best mosque interior in Edirne (if not the Islamic world!) can be seen in the old Eski Mosque, with its red and white archways (like Cordoba's mesquita) and the huge black Islamic calligraphy on the walls. Another mosque worth visiting is the Ottaman Üç Şerefeli Mosque with is candy-like spiral minaret. As an aside, do try the Edirne Kofte! Truly delicious!

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First published: 09/08/11.

john booth

Selimiye Mosque

Selimiye Mosque (Inscribed)

Selimiye Mosque by john booth

Edirne (known as Adrianople until the Ottoman period) is easily accessible by bus from Istanbul and Canakkale.

This fine example of Muslim architecture is regarded as Mimar Koca Sinan's master work, eclipsing that of his Selimiye Mosque in Istanbul. An unusual feature is the statue of Sinan that stands within the gardens of the mosque.

Besides being a Muslim Holy Place, the mosque in Edirne is also regarded as a Baha'i Holy Place. Between 1843 and 1848, Baha'u'llah, founder of the Baha'i faith was exiled to Adrianople by the Ottomans, and during that period he and his family worshipped regularly at the Selimiye Mosque.

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