For many centuries, Edirne was a city where people of many faiths coexisted peacefully. While many sources discuss the Christian and Jewish inhabitants of Edirne, not so much has been told about the followers of the Bahá'í faith. Therefore, not many people are aware that Edirne can boast a building that is extremally important for the Bahá'í movement - a house where the founder of the Bahá'í faith lived for more than four years.

Bahá'í Faith and its founder Bahá'u'lláh

Let us take a look at the Bahá'í Faith first. It is a religion teaching the essential worth of all religions, and the unity and equality of all people. At the heart of Bahá'í teachings is the goal of a unified world order that ensures the prosperity of all nations, races, creeds, and classes. It was established by Bahá'u'lláh in the mid-19th century, and it initially developed in the Middle East. Now there are between 5 and 7 million adherents, known as Bahá'ís, living all over the world.

Mírzá Husayn `Alí Núrí, later known as Bahá'u'lláh, is considered the founder of the Bahá'í faith. He started his religious development in Persia but was soon expelled from Tehran to Baghdad, then to Constantinople and next to Edirne. The forced exile from Baghdad was the beginning of a long process which would gradually move him into further exiles and eventually to the penal colony of Acre in Palestine.

Bahá'u'lláh and his family travelled to Edirne in December 1863. Shoghi Effendi described their journey in the book God Passes By is these words: "Traveling through rain and storm, at times even making night marches, the weary travelers, after brief halts at Kúchík-Chakmáchih, Buyuk-Chakmáchih, Salvárí, Birkás, and Bábá-Iskí, arrived at their destination, on the first of Rajab 1280 A.H. (December 12, 1863), and were lodged in the Khán-i-‘Arab, a two-story caravanserai, near the house of ‘Izzat-Áqá. Three days later, Bahá’u’lláh and His family were consigned to a house suitable only for summer habitation, in the Murádíyyih quarter, near the Takyíy-i-Mawlaví, and were moved again, after a week, to another house, in the vicinity of a mosque in that same neighbourhood. About six months later they transferred to more commodious quarters, known as the house of Amru’lláh (House of God’s command) situated on the northern side of the mosque of Sulṭán Salím."

Bahá'u'lláh stayed in the city for four and a half years. During this period, he became the leader of the newly established Bábí community there. He made a claim to be the messianic figure and created a permanent schism between himself and his older half-brother called Mirza Yahya. In 1865, Mirza Yahya was even accused of plotting to kill Bahá'u'lláh. In contemporary accounts, Mirza Yahya is reported to have tried to have Bahá'u'lláh assassinated by a local barber, Muhammad `Alí of Isfahán. He apparently refused and spread the word of the danger around the community. Another murder attempt involved an incident in the baths. Finally, Mirza Yahya attempted to poison Bahá'u'lláh, an act that left him gravely ill for a time. It is rather ironic to read about so much violence between the representatives of the faith that was supposed to bring universal peace to humankind.

In 1867, Mirza Yahya challenged Bahá'u'lláh to a test of the divine will in Selimiye Mosque in Edirne, such that "God would strike down the impostor." Bahá'u'lláh agreed, and went to the mosque at the appointed time, but Mirza Yahya failed to show up, thus losing his credibility. With the Bábí community irrevocably divided, the followers of Mirza Yahya tried to discredit Bahá'u'lláh to the Ottoman authorities, accusing him of causing agitation against the government. The following investigation cleared Bahá'u'lláh, but it did bring to the attention of the government that Bahá'u'lláh and Mirza Yahya were propagating religious claims. Fearing that this might cause future disorder, the Ottoman authorities decided to exile the 'Bábí' leaders in far-flung outposts of the Empire — Famagusta in Cyprus for Mirza Yahya and his followers, and Acre in Ottoman Palestine, for Bahá'u'lláh and his followers.

Bahá'í House and traditional Edirne houses

The most important souvenir from Bahá'u'lláh stay in Edirne is a simple, two-storied house around the Selimiye Complex where he lived from December 1863 to August 1868. This is where Bahá'u'lláh proclaimed the Bahá'í Faith further by addressing tablets to the kings and rulers of the world asking them to accept his revelation. He first wrote to Sultan Abdülaziz, and next addressed all rulers of the world. The house where he worked has the characteristics of a traditional Edirne house. It is sacred according to Bahá'is and as such visited by pilgrims from all over the world. Its downstairs and a spacious garden are open to all the visitors. However, the upstairs section, which is considered a "Holy Place", is closed to un-Baha'is.

Now, there is a wonderful opportunity to take a closer look at the buildings known as traditional Edirne houses that can be seen around the historical centre of the city. They are timber-framed buildings with stone foundations, and their exterior is often plastered. They have broad eaves and jutting bays. The entrance is set back slightly in the centre of the main façade. Since Edirne's winters can be extremely cold, the walls are thick to provide insulation, and the rooms are fitted with fireplaces either set into the walls or protruding from the exterior walls in the form of conical towers.

The Edirne house plan is characterised by a central gallery room known as a hayat off which the other rooms open, a feature of all houses from the most humble to the grandest. At one end the hayat jutted out over the garden, supported by posts 1.5-2 metres in height. This end of the hayat was raised slightly from the floor level of the rest of the gallery. Historically, larger houses had separate courtyards for the harem - the private part of the house reserved for the family and female guests, and the selamlık - where the master of the household received guests and carried out his business affairs. These courtyards were decorated with marble fountains, and sometimes with small pools and vine shaded arbours. A small door linked the harem and selamlık courtyards.

Traditionally, one room facing Mecca was usually set aside as a prayer room. All the living rooms had fitted cupboards where linen and household wares of all kinds were kept. Rooms, where guests were received, had shelves along the walls on which the family's most treasured pottery and porcelain plates, bowls and jugs would be displayed, and alcoves containing several shelves were similarly used to show pretty bowls, gülabdan (rosewater sprinklers), and vases.

Nowadays, some of traditional Edirne houses have been carefully restored, to be used for a variety of cultural and business purposes. An excellent example of such a restoration is Hafızağa Mansion, where Edirne City Museum now operates. Unfortunately, there are many traditional houses falling into disrepair, destroyed by fires, and entirely neglected. Keep your eyes peeled while walking around Edirne to spot beautifully restored structures as well as dilapidated ones.