Old Mosque

There are many structures in Edirne that have survived from the Ottoman Empire to the present day. The Old Mosque which one of them, is also the oldest of the monumental buildings in the Ottoman Empire. The construction of the old mosque started in 1403 and this process continued for 11 years. The architect of the mosque, Haji Alaeddin, worked with his journeyman, Umar Ibn Ibrahim. Examples of decorative writing are noteworthy in the mosque, which is included in the category of multi-domed mosques. Likewise, the marble door is among the first details of interest to those who see it. The Old Mosque is popularly referred as the ‘Grand Mosque'. The mosque has a special meaning because it was completed during the reign of Çelebi Mehmet. Mehmet Çelebi played an important role in the recovery of Anatolia during the reign of Fetret. For this reason, the Old Mosque is considered as a symbol of the re-Rise of the state in a sense. The Old Mosque belongs to the class of both multi-domed and footed mosques. The structure is very similar to the Ulu Mosque in Bursa. However, it is separated from the Ulu Mosque in terms of the technical details it contains. The Old Mosque, or Ulu Mosque in other words, is recognized as one of the four most important mosques in the city where prayers are answered. During the Ottoman period, the mosque even hosts sword-wearing ceremonies. There are two separate minarets with double and single honorees. In particular, the minaret with its unique structure stands out. The walls of the mosque are quite thick in general, but the number of Windows remains relatively low. The structure is covered with nine domes. These domes sit on the arches. Each of the domes is protected by strong feet. The architectural details in the structure are generally very simple. The marble pulpit, which is more than the density of the ornamentation, should be kept separate.