Edirne Palace
Description
Edirne Palace, once the residence of Ottoman sultans, was built starting in 1450 under Sultan Murad II and completed by Mehmed the Conqueror in 1475. Located by the Tunca River, it served as a royal complex during Edirne’s time as the empire’s capital.
Over time, sultans like Suleiman the Magnificent and Ahmed III expanded the palace, adding pavilions, bathhouses, and gardens. At its height, it had 72 buildings, 14 mansions, 18 bathhouses, 8 mosques, and housed over 34,000 people. The central building was the seven-story Cihannüma Pavilion, featuring the sultan’s quarters and library.
After 1718, the palace was largely abandoned, damaged by earthquakes, fires, and wars. It was almost entirely destroyed during the 1877–78 Russo-Turkish War. Only a few structures, like the Justice Pavilion (Kasr-ı Adalet) and parts of the Imperial Kitchen, Sand Pavilion Bathhouse, and Hunting Lodge, remain.
Today, archaeological and restoration efforts are underway to revive the palace, with some sections already restored and open for public use.