Tekirdağ


Tekirdağ is a city in northwestern Turkey. It is located on the north coast of the Sea of Marmara, in the region of East Thrace. The city forms the urban part of the Süleymanpaşa district, with a population of 186,421 in 2022.
Tekirdağ is a commercial centre with a harbour for agricultural products. It is also home to Martas and the BOTAŞ Terminal, both of them important for trade activities in the Marmara Region. The town's best known product remains Tekirdağ rakı although it is also known for its cherries, celebrated with a festival every June.
The proximity of the Greek and Bulgarian borders means that there are honorary consulates for both countries in Tekirdağ.
Ferries from Tekirdağ sail to the nearby Marmara Islands during the summer.
The nearest airport is Tekirdağ Çorlu Airport although there are many more flights to Istanbul Airport.
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Names and etymology

Tekirdağ was called Bisanthe or Bysanthe, and also Rhaedestus in classical antiquity. The latter name was used until the Byzantine era, and transformed into Rodosçuk after it fell to the Ottomans in the 14th century. After the 18th century it was called Tekfurdağı, based on the Turkish word tekfur, meaning "Byzantine lord". In time, the name mutated into the Turkish Tekirdağ, and this became the official name under the Turkish Republic. The historical name "Rhaedestos" is still used in the Greek Orthodox ecclesiastical context.

History

The history of the city of Tekirdağ dates back to around 4000 BC. In Xenophon's Anabasis it is mentioned as part of the kingdom of the Thracian king Seuthes. It is also mentioned as Bisanthe by Herodotus. The city was a Samian colony.
Procopius chronicled the town's restoration by Justinian I in the 6th century AD. In 813 and again in 1206, after the Battle of Rodosto, it was sacked by the Bulgarians, but it continued to appear as a place of considerable importance in later Byzantine times. The 11th-century Byzantine historian Michael Attaleiates owned property in Raidestos which he described in his will. From 1204 to 1235 the town was ruled by the Venetians following the Latin occupation of Constantinople during the Fourth Crusade.
In the Ottoman period the city was successively a part of the Rumelia Eyalet, then of the Province of the Kapudan Pasha, the Silistra Eyalet, and Edirne Vilayet. After 1849 it became the seat of the Sanjak of Tekfürtaği.

Twentieth century

Tekirdağ was occupied twice by the Russian army: firstly, on 22 August 1829 during the Russo-Turkish War (1828–1829) and then on 1 February 1878 during the Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878). After these wars, the city returned to Ottoman rule.
In 1905, the city had a population of about 35,000, of whom about half were Greeks.
Tekirdağ was occupied by the Bulgarian army on 11 November 1912. The city was liberated on 13 July 1913.
Finally, Tekirdağ was occupied by the Greek army on 20 July 1920 during the Turkish War of Independence (1919–1922). After the signing of the Armistice of Mudanya, the city was given back to Turkey on 13 November 1922. Under the terms of the 1923 agreement for the Exchange of Greek Orthodox and Muslim Populations between the two countries, the Greek Christians of Tekirdağ were all forced to leave, their place taken by Muslim Turks from Greece.
In December 1934, a convoy of 1,583 Turkish speaking Muslims from Dobruja and Ada Kaleh settled in Tekirdağ.
For many years Tekirdağ served as a depot for the produce of Edirne province. However, its trade suffered badly when Alexandroupolis became the terminus of the railway up the river Maritsa.

Bishopric

Rhaedestus remains a titular see of the Roman Catholic Church. However, Roman Catholic Church activity has long ceased.
Catholic bishops

Location

Tekirdağ is situated on the northern coast of the Sea of Marmara, west of Istanbul. Its picturesque bay is backed by the promontory of the mountain which gives its name to the city, Tekir Dağı, a spur of about 2000 ft. that rises into the hilly plateau to the north. Between Tekirdağ and Şarköy is another mountain, Ganos Dağı.

Climate

Tekirdağ has a Mediterranean climate. Summers are hot and humid whilst winters are cool and wet. Snowfall is somewhat common, with a week or two of snow between the months of December and March.
Highest recorded temperature: on 27 June 2007
Lowest recorded temperature: on 3 January 1942

Economy

The city has a port area, divided into two main areas, the main city port operated by Ceyport, and the container port, 7.5 km south at Barbaros, operated at Asyaport.

Tekirdağ today

The Tekirdağ area is the site of many holiday homes, as the city is only two hours drive from Istanbul via a new four-lane highway. The villages of Şarköy, Mürefte and Kumbağ are particularly popular with Turkish tourists. The Marmara Sea is polluted but there are still a number of public beaches near Tekirdağ, especially the Yeniçiftlik beaches.
Most Ottoman wooden buildings have been replaced by concrete apartment blocks although some are being restored or replaced with attractive replicas. Except for the Rüstem Paşa Camii, built by the Ottoman architect, Mimar Sinan, in the 16th century, and the narrow streets that help one imagine life in the Ottoman period, the city lacks antique charm. One reason to visit is the local delicacy, the small spicy cylindrical grilled meatballs called Tekirdağ köftesi, traditionally followed by courses of a sweet local cheese and semolina pudding.
The inland parts of Tekirdağ province offer fertile farmland suitable for winter wheat, sunflowers, cherries and grapes for wine-making.
Both the east–west highway and the highway north toward Muratlı and Lüleburgaz are four lanes. There is a prison next to the rakı distillery and another north of the city on the road to Muratlı.
On the eastern edge of the city is the Namık Kemal University, founded in 2006, which has three faculties.

Tekirdağ ''rakı''

This part of Turkey is well known for its high quality rakı. State-owned until the 1990s, the distilleries are now in private hands and the wine and rakı industries are undergoing a renewal despite being hampered by high taxation on alcohol.

Attractions

In Tekirdağ

Around Tekirdağ province

Sport

The Tekirdağ Olympic Ice Skating Hall was opened at Süleymanpaşa district in 2018.

Notable people

Twin towns – sister cities

Tekirdağ is twinned with:

Namesakes