Restored and brought to the city by the Edirne Municipality, the Edirne City Museum was created through the renovation of the Hafızağa Mansion and serves as a bridge between the city's history and future. Bringing Edirne's rich past to the present, this museum offers an opportunity to witness history by exhibiting many important artifacts dating from the Chalcolithic Period to the present day.
The Edirne City Museum was awarded financial support in 2015 as a result of an application made by the Edirne Municipality to the Thrace Development Agency's 2015 Small-Scale Infrastructure Financial Support Program under the name "Edirne Living and Preserving its Historical Values," and a contract was signed with the Thrace Development Agency on August 31, 2015. After the ownership rights of the mansion were transferred to the Edirne Municipality on May 18, 2015, maintenance and repair works were completed, and work on the design and arrangement of the museum was initiated. As a result of approximately 20 months of work, the Edirne City Museum was opened to the public on May 5, 2017.
The museum consists of an entrance hall and two floors, and conveys the economic, sociological, and cultural aspects of Edirne to visitors with a modern museology approach. The Edirne City Museum showcases the past and present of Edirne, from the Selimiye Mosque, a UNESCO World Heritage site, to the Saray-i Cedide-i Amire, from Mimar Sinan to Fatih Sultan Mehmet, from the sultans' hunting sports to Kirkpinar, from liberation from occupation to the Neolithic Period, from the Thracians to sunflowers and rice, from Deli Selim the Clarinetist to Kakava, from Kapikule to the Meric River, all presented with a rich narrative enhanced by three-dimensional silicone sculptures and digital screens.
The Edirne City Museum attracts significant interest from both domestic and foreign tourists, showcasing the cultural richness of our city. The museum also functions as an educational center for the city's residents and regional students, organizing various educational programs and cultural and artistic events for students. The museum also aims to pass on the history and culture of Edirne to future generations.
We invite everyone who wants to get to know the historical heritage of Edirne more closely to embark on a fascinating journey into the city's past at the Edirne City Museum, which is open 6 days a week except Monday.
History of Hafiz Aga Mansion
Hafiz Aga Mansion, another example of civil architecture in Edirne, located within the historical city fabric where monumental architectural works are found, was first owned by Hafiz Aga, a person who was involved in the political events of the time. Witnessing political developments in the late Ottoman period, Hafiz Aga Mansion hosted the secret meetings of the Committee of Union and Progress.
After Hafiz Aga, the ownership of the mansion passed to his son Bekir Kovankaya; In 1940, it passed to his children, Mehmet and Fatma Dervis, and in 1967 to Fatma Naciye Kovankaya. Sold to Abdulkadir Akgun by his heirs in 1989, the mansion was expropriated in November 2000 by the Provincial Special Administration during the governorship of Fahri Yucel in Edirne, with the consent of its last owner.
The mansion, built on a stone foundation with two floors, has a double-decker sofa plan. All rooms open onto the central sofa. There are a total of 8 rooms on the ground and first floors. The main room on the ground floor features borders made with penwork and two wall paintings, one depicting the Dolmabahce Palace in Istanbul and the other a European city. The upper floor has two balconies, one facing the main facade and the other facing the side street. Landscape paintings are also placed opposite each other on the walls of the first-floor sofa. The Survey, Restitution, and Restoration projects approved by the Regional Board for the Protection of Cultural and Natural Heritage were commissioned by the CEKUL Foundation.
The Edirne Governorship completed the restoration of the building in 14 months with great care, ensuring all architectural elements were true to their original form.
Following the restoration, which was completed during the term of the late Governor of Edirne, Fahri Yucel, the building served for a period as the "Edirne Fahri Yucel City History Museum," named after the late Governor of Edirne, Fahri Yucel, who facilitated its purchase. The building later lost its function with the closure of the museum.
On May 18, 2015, the Edirne Governorship transferred the ownership of the mansion to the Edirne Municipality. The Edirne Municipality decided to repurpose the Hafiz Aga Mansion as the "Edirne City Memory Museum." At its meeting on September 3, 2014, the Edirne Municipal Council unanimously approved the establishment of the Edirne City Museum and its regulations. Design work commenced. As a result of these efforts, the Hafiz Aga Mansion began serving as the "Edirne City Museum" with a ceremony held on Friday, May 5, 2017.
