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The Macedonian Tower Museum in the northwestern Turkish city of Edirne, a structure dating to the reign of Roman Emperor Hadrian that the Ministry of Culture and Tourism restored and converted into a museum, has welcomed 22,000 tourists since it opened to visitors in July.
Edirne Culture and Tourism Director Kemal Soyturk briefed the Provincial General Assembly on tourism activities, investments, and ongoing projects in the city.
Noting that the Ministry of Culture and Tourism has made the most investment in Edirne among the country’s 81 provinces, Soyturk said they aim to increase the number of visitors to the city through newly created tourism destinations.
Saying the city’s historical and cultural heritage holds significant tourism potential, Soyturk said the tower museum, which opened to visitors in July after its restoration was completed, has drawn strong interest.
Noting that the tower presents traces of different civilizations side by side, Soyturk said: “The Macedonian Tower has been revived. It tells the story of the Thracians, the Roman, Eastern Roman, Ottoman and Republican periods that existed on these lands. Since the day it opened, the tower has hosted 22,000 visitors. It is encouraging for tourism that foreign tourists make up the majority of them.”
Soyturk said the Macedonian Tower has been compared to Istanbul’s Galata Tower because of its architecture and observation terrace, but that the archaeological site around it offers visitors a different experience.
Stressing that the tower is not only a viewpoint but also a museum where remains from different historical periods of the city can be seen, Soyturk said:
“We especially recommend visiting our observation terrace. When our Minister of Culture and Tourism, Mr. Mehmet Nuri Ersoy, visited, the similarity to the Galata Tower came up. Ours is a bit different.''
''There is an archaeological site at the back. Here you can see elements belonging to different civilizations. There is a chapel from the Eastern Roman period, ceramic and tile kilns, wall remains and a late-period icehouse. Together with the archaeological site behind it, the tower has an identity different from the others,” he added.
Soyturk also said a replica of the statue of Roman Emperor Hadrian, found in Crete, is on display in the museum.
Edirne Provincial General Assembly Chair Cigdem Gegeoglu also said that bringing the tower back to tourism as a museum is important for the city, adding that the new destinations contribute to Edirne’s visitor potential.
Built between 117 and 138 AD, during the reign of Roman Emperor Hadrian, the Macedonian Tower is the only tower to survive to the present day from Edirne’s ancient city walls.
In 1867, the then governor of Edirne, Haci Izzet Pasa, had wooden floors added to the structure and a clock installed, and it was used for many years as the “Clock Tower.”
The historic structure, which also served for a time as a fire watchtower, was heavily damaged in the 1953 earthquake. After the quake, its upper section collapsed, and the tower was restored in the 1990s.
Archaeological excavations were carried out around the tower in 2002 and 2003. After the Ministry of Culture and Tourism’s latest restoration and museum conversion work, the tower reopened to visitors in July.
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