JEWISH HERITAGE TURKEY 

DESCRIPTION:

Departure early in the morning for Edirne, the second capital of Ottoman Empire situated in the northwest of Turkey with borders with Greece and Bulgaria. Visit The Great Synagogue of Edirne restored by the Prime Ministry General Directorate of Foundations (opened on Thursday, 26 March 2015) The Great Synagogue is one of the most important faith centres of Edirne, hosting the houses of worship of three sacred religions. It was built with the permission of the Ottoman Government and the edict of Abdulhamid II in January 1906. It is the largest synagogue in Balkans, and the third largest in Europe. The restoration of the synagogue was initiated in 2010 in the scope of the reforms addressing the religious freedom and social life requirements of various religious groups in Turkey. The synagogue has opened for service after five years of effort. Possibility to visit Selimiye Mosque, the symbol of Edirne. Carrying the name of the then reigning Ottoman Sultan Selim II,  the Mosque was built by famous architect Sinan. Architect Sinan finished the construction in 1575, when he was 85 and considered Selimiye Mosque to be his “master piece”. Its huge dome is even higher than that of Hagia Sophia. Selimiye Mosque is the crown of Edirne with its simple but glorious existence. UNESCO added Selimiye Mosque and its social complex to its World Heritage List on June 27, 2011.