Though not as prominent on Edirne's skyline as the Selimiye and Üç Şerefeli mosques, the Eski (Old) Mosque is an important landmark in the city and has a large and loyal local congregation. Built between 1403 and 1414, it is the oldest of the city's imperial mosques and features a square, fortress-like form and an arcaded portico topped with a series of small domes. Inside, there are huge calligraphic inscriptions on the walls.
The mosque originally had an extensive külliye (mosque complex), but today only its handsome bedesten (covered bazaar) remains. This comprises 36 strongrooms covered by 14 domes in two rows of seven. The bedesten was the centre of commercial activity in Edirne in the 15th century and the strongrooms were needed to secure valuable goods including jewellery, armour and carpets. Today its stores sell merchandise that is considerably less impressive.
