This study explores the role of Edirne as a symbol of Ottoman territorial integrity and sovereignty during the Balkan Wars of 1912-1913. Edirne had always been an important Ottoman urban center, especially in the European territories of the Empire, because of its proximity to the (later) capital, Istanbul, and its strategic location on the overland trade routes. It became a more significant urban center during the 19th century as the Ottoman Empire lost many of its European territories due to frequent wars and the rise of new nation-states in the Balkans. This experience gradually put the city at the western frontier of the Empire, and the city was occupied by the Russian army in 1829 and during the Turco-Russian wars of 1877-78. During the Balkan Wars, Edirne was placed under siege by the newly established Balkan states and subsequently occupied by the Bulgarian army in March 1913 after a five-month long siege. The Balkan Wars resulted in a major and a final territorial loss for the Ottoman Empire in Europe, which included the Eastern Thrace. Edirne was recaptured by the Ottomans during the Second Balkan War and, after the loss of Salonica (Thessaloniki), became the only remaining significant urban center in the Ottomans’ European territories and western borderlands. Throughout this turbulent time, first the loss and then the recapture of the city became a focal point of the public discourse. The members of the Young Turk Movement and the CUP leaders rallied for the recapture of Edirne after the city was retained by Bulgarians following the London peace treaty that ended the First Balkan War. The eventual recapture of the city in July 1913 provided them with further support. This study explores how this process was experienced in the public domain through archival materials covering contemporary printed sources such as periodicals, newspapers, maps, and postcards, both European and Ottoman. The diverse population of the city presents a unique case to investigate how intercommunal relations played a role in the manifestation of the symbolic role Edirne came to acquire. In addition, official correspondence from Hariciye Defterleri is analyzed to understand the official government point of view on the importance of Edirne for Ottoman territorial integrity and sovereignty. In particular, we observe how reclaiming the city by pushing west of the Midye-Enez line set by the European powers at end of the First Balkan War became a priority for the Ottoman state.