DAY 1: Monday, May 5th
We will meet our valued guests at 7:00 AM at the Kadıköy Marriage Registry Office and at 7:30 AM in front of the Beşiktaş Conrad Hotel before departing for Edirne. We will arrive in Edirne around 11:00 AM, accompanied by our guide's discussion on Ottoman cultural history. Our tour begins with a visit to the Great Synagogue of Edirne, followed by lunch at the Lalezar Restaurant, located on the banks of the Meriç River, one of the most beautiful spots in the region. After lunch, we will visit the Meriç River, one of the largest rivers in the Balkans, and the Karaağaç region. In Karaağaç, we will visit the historic train station building, built by Sultan Abdul Hamid II, and the Lausanne Monument in its garden, representing the compensation given to Türkiye by Greece for the destruction it caused in Western Thrace under the Treaty of Lausanne. The rest of the first day will include visits to the Tower of Justice and Kırkpınar Square in the Sarayiçi area. The Darüşşifa Medical School, also known as the Sultan Bayezid II Complex Health Museum, is located within the complex and is divided into two main sections: a medical school (madrasa) and a hospital (shifahane). After the evening call to prayer, in honor of Hıdrellez (a spring festival), we will bury notes with our wishes at the base of a rose bush or hang them on a branch before heading to the hotel. Our dinner will be at Gazi Baba Tavern, famous for its Edirne-specific entertainment. Our accommodation will be at the 5-star Margi Hotel Edirne.
DAY 2: Tuesday, May 6
At 4:00 AM, those guests who wish to join us will leave the hotel and participate in special celebrations along the Meriç River, dedicated to the significance of the day. We will leave notes tied to a rose bush during a ritual. Afterwards, we return to the hotel, and after breakfast, we leave again. Following our visit to the Selimiye Mosque and the Old Mosque, we will have lunch at the famous Köfteci Osman restaurant before visiting the Üç Şerefeli Mosque. There are many theories about why the Selimiye Mosque, considered Mimar Sinan's best work and which he himself called his "masterpiece," was built in Edirne. The most plausible explanation is that there was no need for a large mosque in Istanbul at the time, Edirne was the center of Ottoman rule in Rumelia, and Selim had a fondness for the city since his youth. The Old Mosque, on the other hand, was begun in 1403 at the request of Emir Süleyman Çelebi and completed during the reign of Sultan Mehmed II. The mosque is particularly significant because Hacı Bayram Veli visited and preached there during the reign of Murat. Out of respect for Hacı Bayram Veli, the pulpit is still not used by imams today. After our visit to the Three-Balcony Mosque, we set off towards Istanbul. We conclude our tour in front of the Beşiktaş Conrad Hotel and the Kadıköy Marriage Registry Office.
