Roughly translated, kaleiçi means 'inside the castle'. In Edirne it is used to describe the old streets to the south of Talat Paşa Caddesi and west of Saraçlar Caddesi. Dating from the medieval period, this is the heart of the old city and it retains a number of ornately decorated timber houses dating from the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries, as well as a couple of handsome stone civic buildings.
When exploring, look out for the Kırkpınar Evi opposite Polis Parkı (Police Park). Its collection of memorabilia associated with oil wrestling is drab, but the building itself is a good example of Edirne's traditional houses. Some of these have undergone recent restoration (the Mihran Hanım Konağı in Gazipaşa Caddesi is a good example), but many are in a sad state of disrepair. Other interesting buildings include the police station in Maarif Caddesi and the recently restored Great Synagogue on Maarif Caddesi, which was built in 1906 and has now been reopened to the public.
