Edirne, Turkey-Hotels and History
Adrianople (Edirne - Turkish Lake. ) Is a city in Thrace, at - the western part of Turkey, near the borders with Greece (7 km) and Bulgaria (20 km). It is the capital of the province of Edirne and the city's population numbered 128 400 inhabitants (data from 2002).. When the city was founded was called Adrianople - in honor of the Roman Emperor Hadrian (today the Greek says Adrianople). Edirne is the entrance of Turkey to the western world, this is the first stop for newcomers from Europe. This beautiful city is known for its many mosques with domes and elegant minarets that reveal views of the entire province. One of the most - important monuments of antiquity Selimiye Mosque or Selimiye Mosque (the name comes from the Ottoman Sultan Selim II) - built in 1575g. the great architect Mimar Sinan. Selimiye Mosque - has the - highest minarets in Turkey - 70.9 m and grand dome - more - than the dome of St. Sophia in Istanbul. Not only mosques could be part of the tours. The town's history is very rich. There are attractive palaces - the - prominent of these is the "Palace of the Empire" or the Edirne Palace - built in the reign of Murat II. Notable inns are also of interest, such as inns Rustem Pasha and Ekmektsioglu Ahmet Pasha - built in the XVI century. Christian heritage is also left its traces - there are two Bulgarian Orthodox churches - St. George (from 1880). And St. Constantine and Helena (from 1869.). If you're a fan of the museums also have a large selection.
The area around Edirne because of its strategic position on the main road to Istanbul, the Bosphorus and further to Asia has been the scene of many battles and sieges - over 15 from antiquity to today. Wars Bulgaria are a significant part of them. First Khan Kardam defeated a large Byzantine army near Adrianople Simeon besieged Edirne and Tsar Samuil conquered it and plundering. Fundamental in Bulgarian history is the battle of 1205 in which Tsar Kaloyan defeated the Crusaders. During the Balkan War in 1913 Edirne was besieged and captured by Bulgarian troops.
Modern city is built on the site of the largest Roman fortress in the region of Thrace - Adrianople, founded by the Roman emperor Hadrian. Before being conquered by the Romans, the city bore the name Uskudama which was the first capital of the kingdom Odrysian.
In the 14th century the Ottomans conquered Edirne and make it his capital to the conquest of Constantinople. Even then Adrianople was sort of second capital, a number of sultans prefer to manage the empire of Edirne. Between 1700 and 1750 Edirne is the fourth largest city in Europe with a population of 350 thousand. People.
However things changed dramatically in the 19th century. During the Russo-Turkish War, the Balkan War and the Second World War, Edirne suffered heavy damage and almost depopulated. This depopulation continued until recently in the city is now home to almost 140 thousand. People. Although it is quite a busy city, especially compared to other Turkish cities of this size, what we see today is only a fraction of its former luster.
