Imagine a city as quaint as a faux European movie set, where lively streets merge with stone bridges as they cross over serene Turkish rivers. Picture Ottoman-styled architecture, whose elaborate dome-shaped rooftops reside over shrubbery and fountains. . For some, the charming lure of Edirne is an entity of dream-worthy scenes.This happy imagery is easily offset by the city’s famed tradition of oil wrestling. Hosted by Edirne every summer, the annually held Kırkpınar Tournament is the longest-running sanctioned sporting competition in the world.
Though any good Edirne tour guide would remind visitors of their exciting nightlife, craft-made soaps and brooms, and ottoman covered bazaars, the city continues to be overlooked. Oil wrestling fans, and day-trippers from bordering Greece and Bulgaria eagerly shopping in Edirne’s budget friendly markets account for a bulk of visitors who enter, only to be surprised by this surreally precious town in northwest Turkey.