2020-02-13 Thu

Symbol of the Ottoman Empire and Edirne, Selimiye mosque was built by the order of Sultan Selim II between 1569 and 1575 years at the center of the city, Edirne. It is considered to be the masterwork of the great Ottoman architect Sinan. The mosque lies at the summit of rising ground and dominates the city’s skyline.

The mosque forms an architectural whole, with adjacent complementary buildings, including a school, a library, and a theological college, now housing archaeological and ethnographic museums. Its structure consists of a succession of 18 small domes dominated by a huge central dome. The mosque is famous for its pulpit and tilings. During the Russian invasion of Edirne in 1878, some of the tiles were taken to Russia.

The entire complex was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2011. The mosque was depicted on the reverse of the Turkish 10,000 lira banknotes of 1982-1995.

Image Source: https://www.worldheritagesite.org/