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Edirne, a city in Türkiye's northwest near the country's borders with Greece and Bulgaria, is nearing the end of a restoration project at the 600-year-old Gazi Mihal Bathhouse, an Ottoman-era bathhouse often described as one of the most ornately decorated of its kind.
According to the Edirne Governorate, the historic bath, which fell into disrepair over decades and was at one point bisected by a road, is being restored to its original form. The project is being carried out in two phases, with most of the work now complete.
Edirne Governor Yunus Sezer inspected the restoration in person. Vakiflar Edirne Regional Director Ahmet Sarac and Cultural Heritage Preservation Regional Director Yusuf Samiloglu briefed Sezer on the progress of the work. Deputy Governor and Provincial Special Administration Secretary General Eyyup Batuhan Cigerci also took part in the inspection.
Landscaping around the site is planned once restoration is finished. The bath is expected to be repurposed and brought back into the city's cultural and social life.
The bathhouse stands on the bank of the Tunca River and was built in 1422 by Gazi Mihal Bey, a member of the Mihalogullari family, who served as frontier raiders during the founding period of the Ottoman state.
Built from cut stone and brick, the structure's walls largely retain their original form.
It is considered a notable example of Ottoman-era architecture for its decoration, including muqarnas stonework and plaster relief work known as malakari.
Together with the Gazi Mihal Bey Mosque and the Imaret Bridge, the bathhouse formed part of a larger religious and charitable complex.
It was closed entirely after Russian forces occupied Edirne in 1829 and fell into ruin over decades of disuse.
Once restoration is complete, the bathhouse is expected to be included in Edirne's cultural and tourism routes.
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