Edirne, Turkey - October 29, 2017: Tourists visiting the Selimiye Mosque at Edirne, Turkey. the masterpiece of famous architect Mimar Sinan and one of the highest achievements of Islamic architecture.

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Thrace & Marmara

Grand narratives have unfolded in this corner of Turkey for millenniums, leaving an extraordinary archaeological site (Troy), a city of Ottoman buildings (Edirne), historically significant battlefields (Gallipoli) and a culturally fascinating and physically beautiful island outpost (Gökçeada) for visitors to explore. It was here that Alexander the Great crossed the Hellespont on his conquering march to Persia, and where the Achaeans (Greeks) and Trojans fought the war immortalised by Homer in the Iliad. Mehmet II launched his campaign to conquer Constantinople from the Ottoman capital of Edirne, and nearly 500 years later Allied forces landed on the Gallipoli (Gelibolu) Peninsula, triggering a bloody stand-off with Turkish troops that would drag on for nine long months and help to define the modern nations of Turkey, Australia and New Zealand. History continues to echo, but there is an increasingly contemporary verve in the student bars of Çanakkale and the vineyards of Thrace.

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Attractions

Must-see attractions

Selimiye Mosque
Edirne
Designed by Ottoman architect Mimar Koca Sinan (1497–1588), whose best-known works adorn İstanbul's skyline, this exquisite World Heritage–listed mosque…
Museum of Troy
Thrace & Marmara
The Museum of Troy's rust-coloured cube, rising from sunbaked earth, is a spectacular multi-floor showcase of the archeological layers of the historic…
Kilitbahir Castle Museum
Gallipoli Peninsula
Reopened in 2019 as a museum focussing on Ottoman and maritime history, this sprawling castle was originally built by Mehmet the Conqueror in 1452 and…
Ruins of Troy
Thrace & Marmara
If you come to Troy expecting a rebuilt ancient city along the lines of Ephesus, you'll be disappointed. The site resembles an overgrown archaeological…
Sancaklar Camii
Thrace & Marmara
Cutting-edge architects are rarely given commissions to design religious buildings in modern-day Turkey, and as a result most contemporary mosques are…
Gallipoli Campaign Historic Site
Gallipoli Peninsula
Set within the 33,500 hectares of the Gallipoli Peninsula, this historic site protects the cemeteries and battlefields of the Anzac campaign. There are…
Grand Synagogue of Edirne
Edirne
Reopened in 2016 after a 36-year closure and a five-year US$2.5 million restoration project, Edirne's Grand Synagogue is the sole reminder of when a…
Lone Pine Cemetery
Gallipoli Peninsula
Lone Pine is perhaps the most moving of all the Anzac cemeteries. Australian forces captured the Turkish positions here on the afternoon of 6 August 1915…