Edirne (pronounced eh-deer-neh ) is the chief city of Eastern Thrace, in the Marmara Region of northwest Turkey. It lies on the gently rolling Thracian plains at the confluence of three rivers, close to the borders with Greece and Bulgaria. Most visitors crossing those borders drive straight on east, or stay on the bus or train, to reach Istanbul. Yet Edirne was for a time the capital of the Ottoman Empire, and continued to be an imperial retreat, adorned with magnificent mosques. It's definitely among the top sights of Turkey.