The Mufti of Edirne, Emrullah Üzüm announced that the historical Selimiye Mosque will now be open 24/7. Üzüm said that they received positive feedback from locals about opening the doors of the important religious building for 24 hours. He said: "The Selimiye Mosque used to be closed right after night prayers until morning prayers, and people who came to the mosque after the closing hour had to pray outside. It was a very upsetting situation." After installing the necessary security precautions, the mosque is not closing its doors to visitors anymore. "Visitors are able to take a tour and pray in the mosque anytime they want," Üzüm said, adding that the mosque is frequently visited by tourists as it is a masterpiece by the architect Mimar Sinan.

Regarded as the symbol of Edirne, the Selimiye Mosque is located in the center of the city in an area called Sarıbayır or Kaval Square. The mosque, which was built on orders from Sultan Selim II between 1568 and 1575, is considered the masterpiece of the great Ottoman architect Mimar Selim, and reveals that the architect was also an expert urban planner regarding its magnificence and its location.

Built with cut stones, the mosque spreads over a 2,475 square meters with a 1,620-square-meter interior, and is considered one of the biggest buildings built on such a large area in the history of architecture. Besides its outstanding architectural features, the building also stands out for its şadırvan - a water-tank with a fountain - and the craftsmanship of the stone, marble, tile and wood. The marble craftsmanship of the Selimiye Mosque is also considered as a masterpiece by experts.