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Edirne, a former Ottoman capital in Türkiye, has seen a sharp rise in tourists and overnight stays this year, the provincial governor said, as authorities press ahead with restorations and new projects meant to draw more visitors, including foreigners.
Governor Yunus Sezer said the increase compared with last year was "tremendous" in both visitor and accommodation figures. He did not provide specific numbers.
"Edirne will keep adding to this every year. Next year will be much better than this year," Sezer told reporters.
Sezer said the stadium, long a source of memories for many locals, was declared unusable five years ago, with its stands and buildings deemed unsafe. It has been out of use for three years.
He said the site was transferred from the Youth and Sports Ministry to the Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Ministry to allow demolition, which began after a tender process.
Once the stadium is cleared, the ministry will carry out a project to turn the area into a public square with plenty of green space. The design is intended to connect with the Saraclar shopping street and extend to the Tunca River.
Sezer said the city has also renovated the Saraclar, Cilingirler and Balİk Pazarİ streets and restored a number of historic buildings, with support from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and relevant ministries.
Sezer said tourism in the city center is currently concentrated around Saraclar Street and the Selimiye Mosque, and that new projects aim to steer visitors toward other historic and cultural sites.
Work at the Edirne Palace is expected to be completed next year, when it is planned to open to visitors, he said. Significant improvements are also planned for the surrounding Sarayici area.
Officials aim to create a single tourism route linking the Selimiye Mosque, Muradiye Mosque, Sarayici, Edirne Palace and the Sultan Bayezid II Complex, Sezer said.
Plans are also underway to open the Tunca River to tourism and water sports, with the area around the Evliya Kasimpasa Mosque included. The goal is to make the riverbank a year-round attraction, similar to improvements made along the Meric River.
Sezer said land acquisition has been completed for a new site for the Kirkpinar wrestling grounds, and the project is in its final stage. The state housing agency TOKİ will carry out construction.
The new grounds, to be built alongside a Kirkpinar museum, are designed to be a center active throughout the year. Kirkpinar is a centuries-old oil wrestling tradition associated with Edirne.
Sezer said he expects foreign visitors to make up a growing share of tourists once the palace opens.
"Not only domestic visitors, but with the completion of the palace, Edirne will become a tourism area shaped by foreign visitors too," he said, describing the city as a living museum.
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