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Lüleburgaz is a small Turkish city in Eastern Thrace. It’s not too far from Edirne and has a few important Ottoman landmarks.
Brief History of Lüleburgaz
The ancient name for Lüleburgaz is Bergula or Bergule (Βεργούλη). It was changed to Arcadiopolis (Αρκαδιούπολις) by Roman Emperor Theodosius I in the late 4th century. The city was conquered by Ottoman Sultan Murad I in the second half of the 14th century.
Getting to Lüleburgaz
Frequent buses travel to Lüleburgaz from Istanbul and Edirne as well as smaller cities such as Kırklareli and Tekirdağ. The bus terminal is less than a 10 minute walk from all the historic sites. We visited on a day trip from Edirne.
Sokollu Mehmed Pasha Mosque Complex
The main reason we visited Lüleburgaz was to see the Sokollu Mehmed Pasha Mosque Complex (Sokollu Mehmed Paşa Külliyesi). It was built between 1565 and 1570 by Sokollu Mehmed Pasha (1506-1579), a Grand Vizier under Sultans Süleyman the Magnificent, Selim II, and Murad III. The architect was Mimar Sinan (1490-1588).
In addition to the mosque, there was an incredible complex consisting of a madrasa, arasta, hamam, primary school, and caravanserai with an attached soup kitchen and guest house. The caravanserai, soup kitchen, and guest house are the only parts of the complex that no longer exist.
Sokollu Mehmed Pasha Mosque
The Sokollu Mehmed Pasha Mosque (Sokollu Mehmed Paşa Camii) is the centerpiece of the complex. It sits on a large courtyard surrounded on three sides by the U-shaped madrasa. The mosque has one minaret.
The entrance to the prayer hall of the Sokollu Mehmed Pasha Mosque used to be under an open portico, but it has since been enclosed with glass.
In the prayer hall, the mihrab, minbar, muezzin’s loge, and a pulpit were carved out of marble. There are some beautiful calligraphy panels, and geometric designs are painted on the upper walls and around the windows. The dome is 12.35 meters in diameter.
Fountain
The stunning ablutions fountain (şadırvan) in the center of the courtyard is made of marble. The 10-sided skirted wooden roof dates back to the early 19th century during the reign of Sultan Mahmud II.
Madrasa
The classrooms and student cells open onto the courtyard and sit under colonnaded porticoes topped by small domes. Each room had a chimney. A portal to the north of the courtyard led to the arasta and caravanserai.
Arasta
The arasta consists of a line of shops sitting between the madrasa and what was once the caravanserai. There were originally 59 shops but only 32 survive to this day. Many of them function as outdoor restaurants and tea houses.
The most striking feature of the arasta is the large dome, or kubbealtı. It sits at an intersection separating the entrance to the courtyard of the madrasa and mosque from the caravanserai. There are different inscriptions above either entrance.
Caravanserai
Unfortunately, only a ruined wall of the caravanserai exists today. The caravanserai had the capacity for 3,000 animals. There was one central courtyard flanked by two smaller courtyards. The eastern courtyard was used by merchants while the western courtyard was used by the Sultan and other important people. The caravanserai made up over ⅓ of the entire complex but was destroyed in 1935.
Hamam
The hamam is east of the complex along Istanbul Avenue. It had separate sections for men and women. Unfortunately, it has lost its original function and now houses restaurants and offices.
Primary School
The primary school is behind the mosque. It’s covered by a large dome and sits on an octagonal frame. Today, it houses a local branch of the Turkish Red Crescent (Türk Kızılay). A small forested area separates the mosque from the primary school.
Tomb of Zindan Baba
The tomb of Zindan Baba (Zindan Baba Türbesi) is located across from the arasta just outside where the caravanserai used to stand. The tomb was probably built in the early 15th century during the reign of Mehmed I and honors a local holy man.
The structure stands three stories high and has a door with stairs leading down to the basement and the tomb. The tomb is colorfully decorated with tapestries, calligraphy panels, and carpets. A wooden clock tower once stood atop the structure but disappeared long ago.
Park
Between the tomb and a local government building is a small park. It contains a statue of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (1881-1938), the founder of the Turkish Republic.
Istanbul Avenue
Finally, before heading back to the bus terminal, we took a short walk down the pleasant Istanbul Avenue. It’s lined with shops and a few restaurants.
