TEKIRDAG
Tekirdag is on the Marmara Sea coast
of Thrace, and has been settled from the beginning
of history. Its ancient name was Bisanthe, while today's name originates
from the color of the surrounding mountains. There are several historical
places in the city, some of which are the Rakoczy Museum (a
Turkish house dating from the 17. century
built by a Hungarian Prince II. Ferenç Rakoczy in 1720, he lived there until
his death in 1735), the Rustem
Pasha Mosque, the Tekirdag Museum and the statue
of Namik Kemal, the celebrated
patriotic poet whose birth - place is Tekirdag.
Çorlu (Tzoulou), a small town of Tekirdag, was a citadel on the antique
road between Istanbul and Europe during the Byzantine
period.
Marmara Ereglisi (the ancient names Perinthos/Heraklia) is ideal for
getting use of the sea and the beaches. Acropolis, antique harbor, sea
and city walls, theater, vaults and stadium are the main historical remains
here.
Sarköy (60 kilometers west) is a sun-sea-sand resort with sandy beaches and
holiday villages. It is also a wine center where a wine festival is held
every year. Kumbag and Barbaros are other pleasant places with their long
beaches.
Today Tekirdag is famous with its sunflowers, meatballs (köfte in Turkish
Cuisine) and raki, and it is a big
port on the Marmara Sea.