Edirne

Marmara, Turkey

The Selimiye Mosque, Edirne. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.

Edirne was the Ottoman capital before Istanbul, and it shows: the Selimiye Mosque, Sinan's self-declared masterpiece, anchors a skyline of imperial mosques and old bridges. The city also hosts the Kırkpınar oil-wrestling tournament, held every summer since the 14th century, making it one of the world's oldest sporting events.

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