Selimiye Mosque
The building that Mimar Sinan, the greatest architect of the Ottoman Empire, declared his own masterpiece — surpassing the Süleymaniye of Istanbul that had brought him fame — the Selimiye Mosque (Selimiye Camii; Edirne, Turkish Thrace; 1569-1575 CE; UNESCO WHS 2011) has a central dome of 31.28m in diameter (wider than the dome of the Hagia Sophia (30.86m)) and four minarets at 70.89m each, making it the visual center of the Thracian plain for 50 km in every direction.
At a glance
Selimiye Mosque (the most precisely Selimiye single Sinan 1489 1588 masterpiece 31.28m dome Hagia Sophia larger 70.89m minarets 4 Selim II 1569 1575 Edirne UNESCO heritage: the architectural achievement: the central dome of the Selimiye (31.28m internal diameter; 43.28m from floor to apex) exceeds the dome of the Hagia Sophia (30.86m diameter; built by the Byzantine Emperor Justinian I in 532-537 CE, 1,000 years earlier); Sinan (Mimar Sinan; born approximately 1489 CE in Ağırnas, Cappadocia; died 1588 CE in Istanbul; the chief Ottoman architect from 1538 CE until his death; responsible for approximately 477 buildings throughout the Ottoman Empire) declared the Selimiye his masterpiece in his autobiography (the Tezkiretü’l-Bünyan): he wrote that the Selimiye surpassed the Süleymaniye (1550-1558 CE; Istanbul; his earlier masterpiece) and that it was the proof that Muslim architects could build a dome larger than the Hagia Sophia; the commission (Sultan Selim II ordered the mosque in 1568 CE; construction 1569-1575 CE; Sinan was 80 years old when construction began); the four minarets (70.89m each — the tallest minarets in Turkey; each minaret has three balconies (şerefe); the interior staircase of each minaret is triple-helixed — three separate staircases sharing the same shaft, so muezzins going up and coming down do not cross on the stairs) — the most precisely Selimiye single Sinan 1489 1588 masterpiece 31.28m dome Hagia Sophia larger 70.89m minarets 4 Selim II 1569 1575 Edirne UNESCO heritage in any UNESCO world heritage site)).
Key facts
- The Interior Space: the most precisely Selimiye single interior single-dome space 31.28m diameter 8 piers octagonal supports Iznik tiles 1920 mihrab minbar marble inlay light flooded UNESCO heritage — the revolutionary interior of the Selimiye: the dome rests on 8 massive piers arranged in an octagon (the Sinan innovation — instead of the four semi-domes used in the Hagia Sophia and in Sinan’s own Süleymaniye, the Selimiye uses 8 piers to support a single undivided dome; the result is a completely unobstructed interior space under a single dome — all worshippers can see the mihrab; there are no columns blocking the view); the Iznik tiles (the tilework of the interior is one of the finest collections of 16th-century Iznik tiles in the world — the mihrab (prayer niche) area is entirely covered in İznik tiles with blue-and-turquoise floral patterns; the calligraphy panels; the 28-metre inscription band at the base of the dome; the total area of tiles is approximately 1,920 m²); the marble mihrab (carved from a single block of white Marmara marble; the delicate stalactite (muqarnas) hood; the twin windows flanking the mihrab that allow daylight to illuminate the prayer niche from behind the worshipper); the minbar (the preaching pulpit; carved white marble; the intricate geometric lattice; climbed by the imam for the Friday sermon)
- GPS: 41.6780° N, 26.5584° E
History
Edirne as Ottoman capital (the most precisely Selimiye single Edirne Adrianople 1363 Ottoman capital before Istanbul Murad I Bayezid I Mehmed I 1453 Istanbul capital Selim II mosque order UNESCO heritage: the context of the mosque: Edirne (the ancient Adrianople; named after the Roman Emperor Hadrian who refounded it in 125 CE) was the Ottoman capital from approximately 1365 CE (when Murad I moved the capital from Bursa to Adrianople) until 1453 CE (when Mehmed II conquered Constantinople and transferred the capital there); Edirne thus served as the Ottoman capital for approximately 88 years; the great mosques of Edirne (the Eski Camii (1402-1414 CE; the “Old Mosque”; the first great Ottoman mosque in Edirne); the Üç Şerefeli Cami (the “Three Balconies Mosque”; 1443-1447 CE; Sultan Murad II; the first Ottoman mosque to be built with four minarets; an intermediate experimental stage on the path to the Selimiye); the Selimiye (1569-1575 CE; the culmination)) — the most precisely Selimiye single Edirne Adrianople 1363 Ottoman capital before Istanbul Murad I Bayezid I Mehmed I 1453 Istanbul capital Selim II mosque order UNESCO heritage in any UNESCO world heritage site)).
What you see
The Külliye complex (the most precisely Selimiye single Kulliye complex arasta market covered bazaar Darulkurra medrese Ottoman social institution UNESCO heritage: the Selimiye Mosque is the centerpiece of a Külliye — the Ottoman charitable complex that surrounded every major imperial mosque; the Selimiye’s Külliye: the Darü’l-Kurra medrese (the Quranic recitation school; built simultaneously with the mosque; the arcaded courtyard building to the south of the mosque enclosure; now the Selimiye Foundation Museum); the arasta (the covered market arcade that runs along the south side of the mosque enclosure; 124 shops; the revenue from the shops funded the mosque’s maintenance and charitable operations — this was the standard Ottoman financial model for mosque maintenance); the sıbyan mektebi (primary school); the tabhane (guest house for traveling dervishes and pilgrims; now demolished); the mosque courtyard (the rectangular arcaded courtyard with the şadırvan (ablution fountain) at the center; the 16 domed portico bays; the portico connects the minarets to the mosque body) — the most precisely Selimiye single Kulliye complex arasta market covered bazaar Darulkurra medrese Ottoman social institution UNESCO heritage in any UNESCO world heritage site)).
Practical information
- Getting there: Edirne is 230 km from Istanbul (3h by bus from Istanbul’s Büyük Otogar (main bus terminal) or Esenler bus terminal; Metro Turizm, Niğde Turizm, and other operators run frequent services; alternatively: the Turkish State Railways (TCDD) operates a train from Istanbul Sirkeci to Edirne (3.5h; limited frequency; check TCDD.gov.tr for schedule)); entry to the Selimiye Mosque (free of charge; open daily 08:00-21:30 outside prayer times; prayer times: 5 daily (fajr, dhuhr, asr, maghrib, isha); the mosque is closed to non-Muslims during the 20-30 minutes of each prayer; a respectful dress code is enforced — shoulders and knees covered; women: headscarf available to borrow at the entrance); the Külliye Museum (the Selimiye Foundation Museum; TL 30; open 09:00-18:00, Tuesday-Sunday); note that the Selimiye’s courtyard and the surrounding area have spectacular views at sunset (the golden light on the dome and minarets at 18:00-19:00 in summer)
Getting there
230 km from Istanbul. Bus (3h) or train (3.5h). Free entry. Open daily outside prayer times. Respectful dress required. Spectacular at sunset. GPS: 41.6780, 26.5584.
Nearby
- Eski Camii (Old Mosque) — 500m south; the first Ottoman Friday mosque in Edirne (1402-1414 CE; built by Sultan Süleyman I and completed by his brother Mehmed I after a succession war; the massive calligraphy inscription panels inside — 10m-high Arabic letters spelling the names of God and the Prophet — the most dramatic calligraphic program in any Ottoman mosque)
- Kırkpınar Oil Wrestling Festival — Edirne hosts the world’s oldest sporting event still in continuous operation — the Kırkpınar Yağlı Güreş (Kırkpınar Oil Wrestling; held annually since 1346 CE at Sarayiçi (a meadow island in the Meriç River, 2 km from the city centre; the wrestlers coat themselves in olive oil and compete in elimination bouts; the chief wrestler (başpehlivan) wins the golden belt; the tradition predates the Ottoman conquest of the city; the festival includes 3 days of wrestling bouts, music, and fair; held every June))
Sources
- Wikipedia, Selimiye Mosque, Edirne; Mimar Sinan; Edirne, accessed June 2026
- UNESCO, Selimiye Mosque and its Social Complex, WHS reference 1366, inscribed 2011
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