Çorlu

Although of ancient origin, Çorlu became a place of real importance during the Ottoman period, as a way-station between Istanbul and the former capital of Edirne. The sultans frequently visited the town, and even built a small palace (now, sadly, vanished) where they could take a break on the journey. It was here, in 1520, that the great, conquering Sultan Selim I died, possibly poisoned by his son Süleyman the Magnificent, who promptly proceeded to build a large and handsome mosque in the town, which still bears his name today.

Lüleburgaz

Arcadius at least managed to do some building (the Via Arcadia in Ephesus is his work), but looks from portraits like a very weak character. Some short stretches of Byzantine walls have survived, but the town’s chief claim to fame is the great mosque complex of Sokullu Mehmet Pasha. Completed in 1571 by Sinan, the greatest architect of the Ottoman Empire, the extensive complex, in addition to a mosque, also includes a madrasah, a poorhouse, a hamam and a caravanserai.

Kıyıköy

The little town of Kıyıköy is picturesquely located on a promontory that projects into the Black Sea between two deep river valleys. The town is entered through a handsome Roman city gate, but the most impressive monument is to be found in the more northerly of the two valleys, and consists of a very large and well-preserved, rock-cut Byzantine monastery with handsome frescoes.

Edirne

Edirne is the ancient Adrianople or Handrianopolis, which, as its name makes plain, was founded by the Roman Emperor Hadrian in the second century A.D. Under the Byzantines, it remained one of the empire’s most important cities until its capture by the Turks in the second half of the 14th century. The Turks then made it their capital. The most impressive structures are the three great, imperial mosques, which can be seen from many miles away – the Old Mosque (Eski Cami), with its nine domes, the Mosque of the Three Balconies (Üç Şerefeli Cami), with its strikingly patterned minarets and cavernous interior, and the Selimiye, which is generally regarded as the supreme masterpiece of Sinan, the greatest of all Ottoman architects. Its minarets are the tallest in the Islamic world, and its mihrab, or prayer niche, is decorated with exquisite Iznik tiles.

The Beyazidiye

One of the most attractive features of Edirne is its complete lack of suburban sprawl, so that a walk of no more than fifteen minutes will take you from the city centre to the open country. Here you will find, by the banks of the little River Tunca, the Beyazidiye, the great mosque complex of Sultan Beyazit II (1481 – 1512), son and successor of Mehmet the Conqueror. The mosque itself is unexceptional, but the hospital, with its great, domed, hexagonal hall off which deep alcoves open, is a masterpiece. Close to the Beyazidiye are the scant remains of an imperial palace that, sadly, was blasted to pieces by the Russian army in 1877.