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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.
Names
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.
History
The city 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 Ottoman times, 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.
Getting There
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 is a small city with a compact city center. Everything worth seeing is within walking distance from the bus terminal.
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.
