The original architecture of the Muradiye Jami Mosque in Edirne was built in 1435-1436 by Murad II (1421-1451). It is very well It is situated on an elevated position with a marvellous view of the green valley of Sarayrne Island, where the Sultan's palace used to stand. Now in good weather you can see the centre of Edirne from here.
Before the Ottoman conquest, this mosque was the home of the Dervish sect, a religious brotherhood whose members cured people of various illnesses with spells and prayers, foretelling the future, interpreting dreams and selling miraculous amulets. Belief in and influence of the monks was so strong that army commanders often tried to recruit dervishes into their units to inspire the soldiers.
The Muradiye Mosque consists of a pair of gallery-connected, domed halls and is in the traditional architectural "Bursa style". In the centre of one of the rooms centre of one of the rooms is a fountain-shadyrvan for ritual ablutions, while the second room serves as a prayer hall. The second room serves as a prayer hall. To the right and left of the prayer hall there are small rooms - eivans or aivans (which means "vaulted hall" in Persian), used as living quarters for the dervishes of the Mevlevi order. The mosque's only minaret was destroyed in an earthquake, but it was rebuilt in 1957.
The Muradiye Mosque is interesting because of the unique faience tiles from the 15th century, imported from Iznik, which decorates the inner walls of the prayer hall up to the upper level of the first row of windows. In addition, there are very well preserved examples of calligraphy. The T-shape of the structure distinguishes it from most mosques in Turkey. The mihrab of the mosque is faced with tile slabs. Imaret (charity institution in the Ottoman Empire) and a bathhouse located on the site, date back to the sixteenth century. The mosque has a rather large cemetery.
