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Kırklareli is a small city in Eastern Thrace, just a short drive from Edirne. It’s off the beaten path and receives very few foreign visitors.
Brief history of Kırklareli
Kırklareli was one of the first organized settlements in Europe, dating back to the Paleolithic and Neolithic periods. It spent several centuries under Roman and Byzantine rule. The Bulgarians captured the city from the Byzantines under Tsar Simeon I and ruled from 914 to 1003, and the Ottomans took over in 1363 under Sultan Murad I. During the Ottoman period, it was a cosmopolitan city populated by Muslims, Greeks, Bulgarians, and Jews.
Bulgaria occupied the city during the Balkan Wars (1912-1913). Greece took over after World War I and ruled until the Turks retook the city on November 10, 1922. The population exchange between Turkey and Greece in 1923 saw its Greek inhabitants exchanged for Muslims from Greece.
Kırklareli was originally named Saranta Ekklisies (Σαράντα Εκκλησιές), which is Greek for Forty Churches. The Ottomans renamed it Kırk Kilise, which also means Forty Churches. On December 24, 1924, the city’s name was officially changed to Kırklareli, which translates to Place of the Forties. The Bulgarians call it Lozengrad (Лозенград), which means Vineyard Town.
Getting to Kırklareli
We visited Kırklareli on a day trip from Edirne and spent a couple hours in the city. There are frequent buses from Edirne, Istanbul, and other smaller cities in the region. The small bus terminal is a short walk from the city center. Leaving town, we were able to get on a van to Lüleburgaz within 10 minutes of arriving.
Getting Around Kırklareli
Kırklareli is a small city with a compact center. Everything worth seeing is within walking distance from the bus terminal. Furthermore, there’s not a great deal to see and you can explore it a couple hours.
Kırklareli Museum
The Kırklareli Museum (Kırklareli Müzesi) explores the history and culture of the city and region. It includes archaeological artifacts from sites in and around Kırklareli.
Museum Building
The museum building was constructed in 1894 by Neşet Pasha and Hacı Mestan Efendi as a mayor’s office. It served as a municipal building until 1962. The building sat abandoned and was slated for demolition, but was rescued and restored in the 1980s. In 1993, it opened as the Kırklareli Museum.
Visiting the Kırklareli Museum
The Kırklareli Museum is open daily from 8:30am to 5:30pm. Admission is free (as of June 2024). It’s located in the city center a few blocks north of the bus terminal.
Natural History Section
The museum has three sections. Starting on the ground floor is a large room dedicated to natural history. 102 species native to the region are displayed behind glass cases representing their natural habitats. 76 of them are birds and mammals. Some of the species are extinct or endangered.
Roman Reliefs
Heading up the stairs are marble reliefs from a Roman amphitheater dating back to the 2nd century. They were excavated from nearby Vize between 1995 and 1997 and are among the most valuable pieces in the museum collection.
Archaeology Section
Upstairs, the collection is broken down into two sections. First is the archaeological section, which includes several finds from Aşağı Pınar and Kanlıgeçit dating back to the Neolithic and Chalcolithic periods. There are also Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman coins and artifacts.
Some of the pieces I found most interesting were an unfinished 19th century tombstone as well as a skeleton and mortuary gifts from Höyüktepe dating back to the 2nd century. The tomb was excavated by a team from the Kırklareli Museum in January 1993.
Ethnographic Section
The ethnographic section takes up the other side of the upper level. There are items used in typical homes in Kırklareli over the years as well as furniture and traditional clothing.
Garden of the Kırklareli Museum
Outside the back door is the garden, where large items such as amphorae, cannons, tombstones, statues, and inscriptions are displayed. There’s also a nice view of the building.
Some of the items include Greek, Armenian, and Ottoman tombstones; Ottoman cannons and cannonballs; Ottoman inscriptions; and Roman building fragments and statues.
Mustafa Kemal Boulevard
After visiting the Kırklareli Museum, we walked down Mustafa Kemal Boulevard, the main street in town, towards the city center. We passed several modern buildings, shops, and restaurants as well as the Kırklareli City Hall.
Şevket Dingiloğlu Park
We then took a quick walk through the pleasant Şevket Dingiloğlu Park (Şevket Dingiloğlu Parkı), which has lots of shade and benches. It seemed like lots of seniors enjoy meeting there to chat.
Republic Square
At the other end of the park is a roundabout where Mustafa Kemal Boulevard ends. This is Republic Square (Cumhuriyet Meydanı), which is the heart of the city. The most important historic landmarks in Kırklareli are located on the square.
Hızırbey Mosque
The most prominent building on the square is the Hızırbey Mosque (Hızırbey Camii). Also known as the Grand Mosque (Büyük Camii), it was built by Köse Mihalzade Hızır Bey in 1383. It was restored by Aydoslu Hacı Yusuf Pasha in 1824 and again by Tosunoğlu Ali Efendi in 1887.
There’s one minaret made of cut stone. It was destroyed by the Bulgarians during the Balkan Wars and later rebuilt. The courtyard of the mosque features a dodecagonal ablutions fountain (şadırvan). An enclosed portal leads to the prayer hall.
The prayer hall is beautifully decorated and has an area of 328 square meters. It can accommodate 1,000 worshippers. There’s impressive artwork and calligraphy above the mihrab, and the minbar is made of wood.
Hızırbey Hamam
Across the street from the mosque is the Hızırbey Hamam (Hızırbey Hamamı), which was part of the Hızırbey Mosque complex. The bath had separate men’s and women’s sections, and was repaired by Hacı Hüseyin Ağa between 1683 and 1704.
Arasta
The Arasta, or Bedesten, is attached to the hamam and was also part of the Hızırbey Mosque complex. It was built in a T shape and had 12 shops inside. The Arasta was restored in 1704.
Grand Mosque Fountain
Behind the mosque and right on Republic Square is the Grand Mosque Fountain (Büyük Cami Çeşmesi). It has three sides and elegant designs and is also known as the German Fountain (Alman Çeşmesi).
Up the Hill
From Republic Square, we passed through a colorful street with outdoor cafés then walked uphill through a quiet neighborhood to the Kırklareli Culture and Art House. There were a few historic homes along the way.
Kırklareli Culture and Art House
The Kırklareli Culture and Art House (Kırklareli İl Özel İdaresi Kültür ve Sanat Evi) is a small ethnographic museum. It contains displays about local traditions.
The museum is housed in Dr. Peterkof’s Mansion (Dr. Peterkof’un Konağı), which was built in the early 20th century. The house served as the Turkish Hearth (Türk Ocağı) after the foundation of the Turkish Republic until 1932. Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (1881-1938) addressed the people of Kırklareli at the building on December 20, 1930, expressing his views on culture and civilization.
The mansion was converted to a kindergarten from 1932 to 1944, and later became a tuberculosis dispensary. The Kırklareli Province purchased it 2002 and it opened as the Kırklareli Culture and Art House in 2017.
Visiting the Kırklareli Culture and Art House
The Kırklareli Culture and Art House is free of charge (as of July 2024) and open daily except Mondays. It’s just a short walk uphill from the city center on the way to the Yayla neighborhood. Interpretive panels include text in both Turkish and English. Mannequins, audio, and visual aids complete the experience.
Ground Floor
The first room on the ground floor depicts the “groom shaving” tradition, which is common before weddings. Local music played at weddings sounds over the speakers.
In the room across the hall, there are mannequins representing a henna night, which takes place at the bride’s house before the wedding.
A third room includes a young couple meeting at a fountain, the Prison Fountain (Hapishane Çeşmesi). Young people would meet at the fountains in squares to meet and get to know each other before their wedding.
Another room educates visitors about peçka, which is a type of clay oven used in the region to cook, bake, and warm meals. Also on display are several items that were used in local kitchens.
Second Floor
In the hallway on the second floor is a mannequin of Atatürk next to a gramophone. Interpretive panels include information about his visit to Kırklareli. There are also traditional handicrafts and dresses on display.
One room is dedicated to cheese making, which is one of the most important industries in Kırklareli. Another room displays information on the production of molasses and tarhana.
The largest room on the second floor exhibits the region’s weaving and knitting traditions. One mannequin sits at a loom making a rug while another is on a chair knitting. Different examples of these crafts are displayed throughout the room.
Basement
The basement, which was closed during my visit, exhibits a few more local traditions. They include basketweaving, winemaking, and pottery. I hope to see these sections on a future visit.
Where to Eat in Kırklareli
Since we only spent a few hours there, we didn’t have a chance to eat at more than one place in Kırklareli.
Birtat Köftecisi
We had a delicious lunch at Birtat Köftecisi, which is across the street from the Kırklareli Museum. Service was excellent and the food was delicious and much lower priced than in a large city.
I had köfte and Marisol had a steak. Our meals were served with complimentary bread, sauces, and lots of vegetables. We left extremely full and satisfied.
