The palace was built in a hunting ground and woods covering 30–35 ha (74–86 acres) land north of the city on the west bank of the Tunca river.
Finally, the palace was destroyed to great extent when an ammunition depot close by was intentionally blown up on the order of the Governor of Edirne, in fear of nearing Russian forces during the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–78.
[1] Archaeologist Mustafa Özer of Bahçeşehir University, who leads the excavation works at site, reported that they obtained some photographs of the palace complex taken before its destruction.
[4] The palace complex consisted of 72 different buildings with 117 rooms, 14 mansions, 18 bathhouses, 8 masjids or mosques, 17 gates and 13 cellars.
[1] Structuring of the area around the palace took place with cobbling of the Tunca riverbed and building of levees on the banks of the river by Bayezid II (r. 1481–1512).
Edirne Palace entered, so to speak, a second structuring era with Suleiman the Magnificent and his master architect Mimar Sinan (c. 1489/1490–1588).
During this time, the palace was redesigned, its landscape topography was reorganized, and water supply problems were resolved.
Mimar Sinan made running water available to the palace by a canal derived from the resource he had brought to the city of Edirne from nearby Taşlımüsellim village.
The Tunca river and the supply water canal encircled the palace area, and made so a protective wall unnecessary.
[1] In 2000, archaeological works were undertaken at Kum Kasrı Hamamı (literally: Sand Pavilion Bathhouse) and around, which revealed the existence of a water supply system.
Built by Mehmed the Conqueror, the simple bathhouse has three bath sections as the "sıcaklık" (caldarium), "ılıklık" (tepidarium) and "soğukluk" (frigidarium) under three small domes with an iwan at one end.